The WPBL will soon crown its first champion, as No. 1 San Francisco meets No. 3 LA in Game 1 of the league’s inaugural best-of-five finals tonight.
The Firebells pulled off a semifinal sweep of No. 4 Boston behind co-home run leader Kelsie Whitmore’s 2.80 playoff ERA and Skylar Kaplan’s five RBIs.
The Queens survived a nervier path, edging No. 2 New York 15-11 in Monday’s Game 3 decider thanks to Ayuri Shimano’s league-first postseason grand slam.
San Francisco finished the regular season first in runs, hits, home runs, and team batting average, leaning on a deep lineup fueled by Whitmore, Kaplan, and doubles co-leader Jill Albayati.
Japanese ace Ayami Sato looms as LA’s X-factor after closing out the semifinal clincher, though the Firebells took the regular-season series 3-2.
There’s more than a title on the line, with the winning team also taking home custom Baron Championship Rings commemorating the WPBL’s landmark debut season.
The WPBL championship series kicks off tonight at 7 PM ET (ESPN+).
