Betty Luna [Hill] (May 1, 1927 – July 13, 2004) a pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). Listed at , 133 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.All-American Girls Professional Baseball League – Betty Hill. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
A native of Dallas, Texas, Betty Luna hurled two no-hitters during her seven seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. A hard-thrower, she was one of the few pitchers to make the successful transition from underhand to overhand through the many stages of the circuit, although she pitched on awful expansion teams that did not give her much run support.The Women of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League: A Biographical Dictionary – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2005. Format: Paperback, 295 pp. Language: English. All-American Girls Professional Baseball League – Rules of Play. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
Luna entered the league in 1944 with the Rockford Peaches, playing for them one year before joining the South Bend Blue Sox (1945–1946). She returned to Rockford (1947) and then found herself on the move again, this time to the Chicago Colleens (1948), Fort Wayne Daisies (1949–1950) and Kalamazoo Lassies (1950).
In her rookie season, Luna posted a 12–13 record and a 2.61 earned run average as part of a Peaches rotation that included Carolyn Morris (23-18, 2.15) and Mary Pratt (21-15, 2.61).All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company, 2000. Format: Paperback, 294 pp. Language: English. 1944 Rockford Peaches. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
In 1945 she went 14–15 for South Bend, ending fifth in the league for the best ERA (1.53) as third in the Blue Sox rotation after Doris Barr (20-8, 1.71) and Charlotte Armstrong (18-22, 1.98). Luna hurled four shutouts in a stretch, including her first career no-hitter on August 6 of that year.1945 South Bend Blue Sox. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
Her most productive season came in 1946, when she went 23–13 with a 2.30 ERA in a career-high 298 innings pitched, ranking second behind Grand Rapids Chicks' Connie Wisniewski (366), and sixth in winning percentage (.638).1946 South Bend Blue Sox. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
In 1947, Luna went 11–14 with a 1.65 ERA during her second stint with the Peaches. The next year she finished with a 12–9 mark and a 1.95 for the helpless Colleens, who ended 47–77 in the Eastern Division games out of the first spot.1947 Rockford Peaches. Retrieved 2026-02-28.1948 Chicago Colleens. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
Luna opened 1949 with the Peaches, ending 2–6 with a 3.90 in only ten pitching appearances, even though she pitched the second no-hitter of her career. She divided her playing in 1950 with Fort Wayne and Kalamazoo, playing exclusively at outfield while hitting a .237 average with two home runs and 50 runs batted in in 100 games, ranking fourth in doubles (18) behind Betty Foss (24), Sophie Kurys (22) and Thelma Eisen (20).1949 Rockford Peaches. Retrieved 2026-02-28.1950 Fort Wayne Daisies. Retrieved 2026-02-28.1950 Kalamazoo Lassies. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
She finished with a 74–70 record in 162 pitching appearances and 1–1 with a 2.00 ERA in two postseason games, while her 2.12 career ERA ranks for 10th place in the all-time list.
In 1988, she became part of Women in Baseball, a permanent display based at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, which was unveiled to honor the entire All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.All-American Girls Professional Baseball League History. Retrieved 2026-02-28.
Luna was a long time resident of Los Angeles, where she died at the age of 77.
Career statistics Pitching GPWLW-L%ERAIPHRAERBBSOWHIP 162 74 70 .514 2.12 1207 768 429 284 524 430 1.07 Batting GPABRH2B3BHRRBISBBBSOBAOBPSLG 296 953 96 213 30 10 5 102 60 102 BB 90 .224 .299 .292 Fielding GPPOAETCDPFA 238 406 29 28 471 8 .964
See also AAGPBL pitching records
Sources