St. Paul Trades Borders to Duluth-Superior Dukes

Ila Borders, the first woman to pitch in a regular-season minor league game, was traded Wednesday by the St. Paul Saints to the Duluth-Superior Dukes.

Borders, 22, a left-hander, was expected to be in uniform this afternoon when the Dukes play a makeup game against the Sioux Falls Canaries in Duluth. She was traded for utility infielder Keith English.

In seven Northern League games this season, Borders had a 7.50 ERA in six innings, allowing 11 hits, walking four and striking out five. In her last six games, Borders gave up only two earned runs.

“I truly enjoyed having Ila here, but the fact is that we have four left-handed relievers on our staff and that is simply too many,” Saint Manager Marty Scott said. “She’ll get the chance to pitch in Duluth and that is what this league is all about.”

Borders took up baseball when she was 10. She was the MVP of her Whittier Christian High School team and was the first woman to accept a college baseball scholarship when she enrolled at Southern California College in 1994. She played three seasons there before finishing at Whittier College, going 4-5 with a 5.22 ERA as a starter.

Borders made the Saints this spring after a two-week tryout.