DURHAM, N.C. – The All-American Women’s Baseball Classic (AAWBC) commenced on Friday, as the Kenosha Comets played the Racine Belles before the Rockford Peaches battled the South Bend Blue Sox on a rainy night in Bull City. Several pitchers had strong days on the mound, and exciting baseball began at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

RACINE BELLES 8, KENOSHA COMETS 0

AS IT HAPPENED

• Belles jumped out early and never looked back, putting up eight runs through the first two innings. Amanda Gianelloni got things started with an RBI single in the first, and the Belles capitalized on multiple walks, a key double from Mia Kruspe, and a defensive miscue to break the game open.
• Belles added five more in a marathon second inning that saw two bases-loaded walks, a two-run single by Maggie Foxx, and another error that allowed the lead to swell to 8-0.
• The Kenosha Comets had traffic on the bases but struggled to bring runners home, striking out eight times and grounding into key outs. Sophia Broderick reached base three times for Kenosha, but their most promising threat in the second ended when a runner was caught stealing third.
• The Comets finally showed signs of life in the fifth when Charlotte Cooney and Madeline Tse strung together back-to-back singles, but a groundout ended the frame.
• Despite late chances for both sides, the score remained unchanged after the second. The Belles’ pitching duo of Bailey Brown and Kruspe combined for a shutout, keeping Kenosha off the board in a dominant 8-0 victory that ended after 4.5 innings due to rain.

NOTABLES

• Broderick was a bright spot for the Comets, reaching base twice with a pair of singles and swiping a bag in the opening frame. She also made a smooth play at short to turn an early double play.
• Tse made an impact after entering the game, delivering a line-drive single to center in the fifth and tracking down a foul pop in left to end a Belles threat.
• Cooney recorded a hit and advanced into scoring position in the fifth, showcasing aggressiveness on the basepaths earlier in the game with a stolen base attempt.
• On the mound, Brown tossed two scoreless innings starting for the Belles as she racked up six strikeouts to keep the Comets quiet.
• Akira Kopec also impressed on both sides for the Comets – she pitched a clean fourth inning with two strikeouts and reached base twice, including taking a hit-by-pitch.
• The Belles’ offense spread the wealth, with Foxx reaching base three times and driving in two, Gianelloni collecting an RBI single, and Kruspe lacing a two-run double to right as part of the Belles’ eight-run explosion in the first two innings.

SOUTH BEND BLUE SOX 9, ROCKFORD PEACHES 4

AS IT HAPPENED

• Rockford got on the board early, capitalizing on command issues from the Blue Sox in the first. After a leadoff double by Skylar Kaplan and two walks to load the bases, Kaija Bazzano worked a third free pass to force in the game’s first run. In the third, Denae Benites was hit by a pitch, stole second, took third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch, giving the Peaches a 2–0 lead through three innings.
• The Blue Sox stormed ahead in the fifth, turning a two-run deficit into a 4–2 lead thanks to a string of walks, errors, and a fielder’s choice that plated two runs from McKenna Huff. Alyssa Zettlemoyer, Huff, and Julia Lucey all contributed to the rally, putting pressure on the Peaches pitching staff.
• The Peaches tied things up at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth. Bazzano’s sacrifice fly plated one, and back-to-back errors on the same play brought in another.
• The Blue Sox weren't done yet, though. In the top of the sixth, they exploded for five more runs to provide late insurance. RBI knocks from Isabella Villareal and Huff – paired with walks and a wild pitch – extended the lead to 9–4.

NOTABLES

• Huff led the charge for the Blue Sox, driving in two runs on a fielder’s choice and a two-run double to center.
• Villareal added an RBI single and pitched a scoreless inning despite a wild sequence that allowed two Peaches runs to score on a sac fly and throwing error.
• Lucey reached base three times and scored twice, drawing two walks and coming home on a wild pitch in the sixth.
• Zettlemoyer delivered a key RBI single in the fifth to put the Blue Sox on the board.
• For the Peaches, Bazzano’s bases-loaded walk opened the scoring, while Kaplan tagged and scored on a sac fly to center in the fifth.

ON DECK

The AAWBC returns to on-field action on Saturday, August 2. The Blue Sox will take on the Comets at 4:00 p.m. ET, and the Peaches will play against the Belles at 7:00 p.m. ET. All of the action will take place at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and games will be streamed for free on MLB.com, MLB.TV, and in the MLB App.

FOLLOW ALONG

For the full schedule, as well as ticket information, click HERE. To keep up with the latest news on the All-American Women’s Baseball Classic powered by USA Baseball and the Women’s National Team, follow @USABaseballWNT on Twitter/X and @USABaseball on Instagram.