The Los Angeles Queens are two wins away from making history. After the first two games of the Women’s Pro Baseball League Championship Series against the San Francisco Firebells, the Queens head into tonight’s Game 3 with a chance to move within one victory of becoming the league’s first champion.
The championship series began Wednesday in San Francisco, where Los Angeles opened with a win. Thursday’s Game 2 was decided by a stunning 10-run fourth inning from the Queens, turning a game in which the Firebells had dominated for most of the night into an 11-7 Los Angeles win. The defeat leaves San Francisco needing three straight wins to claim the championship
Standout play from Ayuri Shimano turned a 4-3 deficit into an 8-4 Queens lead. The moment was especially significant for Shimano, who had also hit a grand slam in Los Angeles’ semifinal series against the New York Heights. Catcher Maggie Foxx also played a key role, opening the game with a solo home run before adding an RBI single during the fourth-inning tally. For San Francisco, Andréanne Leblanc and Sam Gutierrez continued to produce at the plate despite the loss, each going 4-for-4 and driving in three runs
The matchup is hardly unfamiliar. Los Angeles and San Francisco faced each other five times during the regular season, with the Firebells holding a 3-2 record over the Queens. Their most recent meeting before the championship series was an 8-6 Los Angeles win on Aug. 21.
That last regular-season game fixture offered a glimpse of how closely the two teams are matched. Across their five meetings, Los Angeles scored 28 runs compared with San Francisco’s 44, but the Queens still managed to split the final two games of the season series.
Los Angeles has also had consistent production from its lineup throughout the season. Ashton Lansdell finished the regular season batting .477, while Jamie Mackay hit .386 and led the team with five home runs.
San Francisco has plenty of firepower of its own, with Kelsie Whitmore hitting 11 home runs during the regular season and driving in 31 runs. The Firebells finished with a team batting average of .376. That offense helped San Francisco finish the regular season 10-5, while Los Angeles entered the championship series at 8-7.
But the regular season is no longer what matters. With the first championship in the league’s history on the line, the Queens have put themselves in position to finish the job.
Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. CST in Los Angeles. If necessary, Game 4 will follow Sunday, with a deciding Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday in San Francisco.
Senior at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism
UMD '27