Borders Has Rough Outing in Exhibition

The fans loved her, and after one promising inning, so did the opposing hitters.

Ila Borders, trying to become the first woman to pitch in a regular-season minor league game, gave up five runs in two innings of relief in the St. Paul Saints’ exhibition opener Thursday night.

She entered to a standing ovation from the crowd of 3,895 to start the seventh. The Saints led, 6-4, and Borders struck out Jeff Jensen, the first batter she faced.

Borders, who attended Whittier Christian High and Southern California College, gave up a walk in the seventh, but the Duluth-Superior Dukes scored five times in the eighth on four hits and two walks to take a 9-6 lead. That score stood and Borders took the loss. Borders might have gotten out of the inning after giving up three runs, but left fielder Chris Evans fell going after Jensen’s drive to the warning track, which fell in for a two-run double.

The Saints have three more exhibition games before opening the regular season May 30.