Kelsie Whitmore made more history with her start for the Oakland Ballers on Thursday, becoming the first woman to start in a Pioneer League game
Oakland Ballers pitcher Kelsie Whitmore #9 throws against the Yolo High Wheelers in the first inning of their Pioneer League game at Raimondi Field in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, June 6, 2024. OAKLAND — For Kelsie Whitmore, Thursday was, in her own words, just another game. She became the first woman in Pioneer League history to start a contest, but nothing changed regarding how she went about her work. Her preparation the same. Her routine was the same. Her pitch mix was the same.
Whitmore began her evening by striking out leadoff batter Brayland Skinner, freezing the lefty with a backdoor curveball that caused the crowd to erupt. Bobby Lada followed up with a single, but Whitmore’s battery mate, Coleton Horner, threw out Lada as he tried to steal second. Whitmore ended the frame by getting Jose Gonzalez to fly out, receiving a raucous applause as she walked off the field.
Jeremey Wright, 34, attended the A’s game earlier in the day, then brought his daughter, Julianna, to Raimondi Park so she could witness history. As Whitmore went through her pregame routine, Julianna, ball and pen in hand, yelled out “Kelsie!” to get the pitcher’s attention. From the bullpen, Whitmore gave the young fan a wave.
Matt Deems, 47, decided to attend the game with his daughters, 11-year-old Amara and eight-year-old Anya when he heard the news. Amara, like Whitmore, is the only girl on her baseball team, and has been following Whitmore for a number of years.
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