Kelsie Whitmore gets 1st professional hit for Independent League team
Not everything happens so quickly. For Kelsie Whitmore, she had to wait until Wednesday to record her first professional hit — 14 games after debuting on July 1. It’s not the first time a woman has gotten a professional hit, but it is with two women on the same team.
In the top of the fourth, the Sonoma Stompers put two on via a leadoff walk and a single. The San Rafael Pacifics got the next two out before Whitmore stepped to the plate. With the team trailing 4-0, she worked the count full from an 0-2 hole, before knocking a hard grounder for a single just out of the reach of the first baseman’s glove.
While the Stompers wouldn’t score — the runner was tagged out at home attempting to score from second — it was a great moment for baseball. And if that isn’t cool enough, the team will be adding catcher Anna Kimberly for the first-ever professional female battery. The Stompers will hold a press conference on July 22 to announce the news.
