The San Francisco Firebells are moving on to the 2026 WPBL championship after sweeping the Boston Hunters in two straight playoff games on Friday. Fueled by Kelsie Whitmore's heroics, the 9-6 semifinal win clinched the first finals berth in Women's Professional Baseball League history.
Kelsie Whitmore Leads San Francisco Firebells to 2026 WPBL Finals
Kelsie Whitmore drove the offense with two more home runs, including a three-run blast that broke the game open after Boston intentionally walked her in an earlier at-bat. Her solo shot to lead off the fourth extended the cushion before the Hunters could mount a response.
Whitmore contributed on defense, too, laying out in center field to rob Boston with runners on base. However, the Hunters did manage to make things interesting through their brief WPBL playoffs run.
Boston loaded the bases multiple times, eking out runs on wild pitches and timely at-bats. Still, the Firebells answered every push. Skylar Kaplan, who carried a .750 postseason average into the game, took away an RBI with a full-extension grab and threw to second without getting off the ground. A game-ending 6-4-3 double play in the final frame cemented the sweep.
The WPBL playoffs tipped off September 9th with all four teams vying for the league's inaugural title.
As the No. 1 seed, the Firebells now await the winner of the New York Heights vs Los Angeles Queens semifinal ahead of this week's best-of-five championship series.
