A steady drizzle fell over Springfield, Illinois, as the inaugural game of the Women’s Professional Baseball League got underway, drawing a crowd of more than 4,000 spectators who had lined up hours before the first pitch.
The Los Angeles Queens edged out the New York Heights 10‑8 in a contest that saw the Queens rally from an 8‑4 deficit in the final innings, turning a rain‑soaked field into a stage for a historic moment in American sports.
Maggie Foxx recorded the league’s first hit with a two‑run single in the opening inning, while Denae Benites followed with the WPBL’s first home run, a two‑run drive in the fourth that sparked cheers despite the weather.
A historic day on the diamond
The ceremony before the game paid tribute to the past, present and future of women’s baseball, featuring Maybelle Blair, a 99‑year‑old former All‑American Girls Professional Baseball League star, who threw the ceremonial first pitch and serves on the WPBL advisory board.
Families in the stands included Antonietta Mabry, her husband Jason, and their nine‑year‑old daughter Rosalee, who later received an autograph from San Francisco second‑baseman Amanda Gianelloni, a moment that underscored the league’s appeal to a new generation.
Seventeen‑year‑old Hadley Keirsey, who attended with her siblings, said the sight of professional women playing baseball was a powerful reminder that women are breaking ground in sports, echoing broader societal opportunities.
The Firebells and Boston Hunters rounded out the weekend’s schedule with their own debut games on Sunday, while league officials said the opening weekend was only the beginning of what they hope will be a sustained professional platform for women’s baseball.