Kelsie Whitmore: Oakland Ballers 1st female pitcher helps win historic game
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland Ballers pitcher Kelsie Whitmore became the first woman to start a game in baseball league history.
She struck out the first batter she faced.
Whitmore went three innings, allowed six hits and two earned runs against the Yolo High Wheelers.
The Ballers beat the Davis team with a dramatic, walk-off home run in the 10th inning for a 9-8 victory.
The 25-year-old California native from San Diego is no a stranger to breaking barriers.
As a teenager, she was the first female to play baseball at Temecula Valley High School.
At age 17, the outfielder and pitcher signed with the Sonoma Stompers of the Pacific Association.
Kelsie Whitmore #3 of the Staten Island Ferryhawks works out in the gym at Richmond County Bank Ball Park on September 08, 2022 in Staten Island, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
She went on to play collegiate softball at Cal State Fullerton.
And in 2022, she became the first woman to sign with a MLB partner league when she joined the Atlantic League's Staten Island FerryHawks. She marked history with the team as the first woman to ever start and pitch there.
In an earlier interview with KTVU, Whitmore spoke about the responsibility she feels to serve as an example for young female athletes.
"I am doing the best I can to be a role model for younger girls, striving to help them achieve their goals and dreams," the baseball player said. "To me it's an honor to be a part of that, to be given that opportunity."
KTVU staff contributed to this report.