Sato Throws First Shutout in WPBL History as Los Angeles Queens Take Inaugural Title

Ayami Sato blanked the San Francisco Firebells 2-0 in Game 5, delivering the Women's Pro Baseball League's first championship to the Los Angeles Queens.

The Los Angeles Queens claimed the Women's Pro Baseball League's first championship Tuesday, defeating the San Francisco Firebells 2-0 in Game 5 at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. Ayami Sato threw a complete game, allowing five hits over seven innings with no walks and one strikeout on 76 pitches. It was the first shutout in league history and the lowest-scoring game the WPBL has seen.

Sato, 36, entered the league with an outsized resume, having helped Japan win six consecutive Women's Baseball World Cup titles between 2010 and 2024. The Queens made her the second overall pick in the inaugural draft, though she struggled to a 6.09 ERA across seven appearances during the regular season.

The Firebells, who finished atop the regular season standings at 10-5, erased a 2-0 series deficit with back-to-back blowout wins before the Queens turned to Sato to stop the slide. Los Angeles scored both of its runs in a third-inning rally that included two San Francisco errors, a Sarah Edwards walk and a Mo'ne Davis single. The Queens won despite collecting only two hits in the game.

Off the field, the league's future remains unsettled. Board member Mina Kim, the WPBL's largest investor, has gone to court seeking financial transparency from co-founder and CEO Keith Stein, who has denied any wrongdoing. Commissioner Justine Siegal told Front Office Sports she does not handle the league's business side. The inaugural season drew more than 55,000 in attendance and over $1.3 million in ticket revenue, with all games played in Springfield.