Mesa, AZ (AHN) - Nearly two decades after the last female umpire worked a professional MLB spring training game, Ria Cortesio recreated history Thursday by becoming the first female umpire to work a major league exhibition game since Pam Postema back in 1989 when she took the field for the Chicago Cubs' 7-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Mesa, Ariz.

Cortesio blended in seamlessly, hustling all over the field and making each of her calls with a vigorous fist pump. Cortesio's performance was a thing of beauty as she was always in the right position, doing what every good umpire does - go unnoticed.

Cortesio described her performance in front of HoHoKam Park's record crowd of 12,917 as routine.

"It was pretty uneventful. I didn't have much," Cortesio said.

Cortesio joked about her appearance and the media attention focused on her feat.

"When I found out I had this game, my plan was to sneak in, work the game and sneak out and hope no one noticed," she said. "That didn't happen."

Cortesio, working with major league umpire Mike Winters, was situated at first base for the first two innings before switching between first and third for the remainder of the game. Another minor league umpire, Jason Kiser, handled the plate. Moving around the bases is standard for spring training games.

Cortesio said she got a lot of warm welcomes from many of the players playing in the game as she has already umpired many of their games in the minor leagues.

"I got a lot of, 'Hey Ria, where are you going to be this year?' That's the question. As of right now, I'm going back to the Southern League, but that's subject to change at any minute. As soon as a spot opens up at Triple-A, it's mine," she said.

Incredibly, Cortesio is the only female umpire in all of professional baseball. At age 30, Cortesio is beginning her ninth year of professional umpiring and fifth year in Double-A.

When Cortesio reaches Triple-A, she will be graded by major league ump supervisors who will then determine if she will be invited to the Fall League. If Cortesio makes the cut there, she will then work a full schedule of major league spring training games before moving up to a position as a fill-in in the majors.

Though no female umpire has ever worked a regular-season game in the majors, Cortesio appears to have an excellent shot at becoming the first female umpire in Major League Baseball history.

"Absolute best-case scenario, we're looking at 2009 to get a couple of games," she said.

Cortesio has a lot of people in her corner pulling for her including Cubs manager Lou Piniella who praised Cortesio's quest.

"I think it's good. I really do," Piniella said. "I think there is a place for women in the umpiring ranks - they're certainly as qualified as anybody else. I'm sure if they get the same opportunities, the same schooling that their male counterparts do, they'll do a really nice job."