Eri Yoshida made her regular season game debut for her Kansai Indenpendent League team Kobe 9 Cruise in their season opener at the Osaka Kyocera Dome on Thursday 27 March 2009.
She came into the game in the 9th with her team leading the Osaka Villicanes by 5-0. She walked her first batter on 4 straight knuckleballers, then mixed her fastball and knuckleball to strike the next batter out on 5 pitches.
17 year old high school student, sidearm knuckleballer, and the first female Japanese professional baseball player Eri Yoshida is likely to see her first game action in the pre-season game for her Kobe 9Cruise on the road against the Kishu Rangers at the Kimiidera Stadium in Wakayama scheduled on March 24. Manager of Kobe, Yoshihiro Nakata, had mentioned that he wanted to test Eri in a game in the latter half of March, and this recently scheduled match against Kishu fits the bill.
He’s also declared that Eri will pitch in the season opener on the 27th, this seems kinda gimmicky but it’s the independent Kansai League’s first year, so whatever gets the press eh. The season opener will be against the Osaka Villicanes at the sure to be cavernous for indie ball Kyocera Dome (!) at 18:15.