History was made on Wednesday night when Claire Eccles took the mound for the Victoria HarbourCats. Her appearance marked the first time in history a woman has played in the collegiate West Coast league, and Eccles was happy to get out there:
Knuckleballer Claire Eccles becomes first woman to play in collegiate West Coast League
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Eccles told the Daly Hive about the moment:
“I just wanted to play,” Eccles said, relieved that her first outing was out of the way. “There was a lot of media beforehand. I just wanted to go out and show I could compete.”
It was a bad night overall for the HarbourCats, who lost 9-0. Eccles pitched two innings in relief, giving up a hit, two runs, and a walk. Manager Brian McRae chalked some of that up to nerves:
“I just looked at it as another player out there doing their job; it just happened to be a woman on the mound,” HarbourCats manager Brian McRae said. “Over the course of a game you bring someone in, they pitch and try to get outs. I think being able to get in and perform in this situation is going to make her better for the next time she takes the mound. I don’t think she’ll need to be nervous anymore. I think she found out the plate is the same distance from the mound as it always is.”
It was a cool moment she’ll never forget:
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