Pride Rebound, Thump Racers 10-3 in the Series Finale

AKRON, Ohio (July 5, 2010) – The USSSA Pride came out swinging from the onset, clubbing 11 hits, including two homers en route to a 10-3 victory over the Akron Racers in today’s series finale at Firestone Stadium.
The Akron Racers (11-6) dropped just their second game of the series to the USSSA Pride (11-6) after earning the series win with a 6-3 decision on Saturday.

Starter Jamee Juarez (3-4) could not find her rhythm against the Pride as the visitors banged out 10 runs on 11 hits to tie the Racers atop the NPF standings. Conversely, Sarah Pauly (4-2) earned her second win of the series and moved through the Racers lineup with relative ease, giving up three runs–just one earned, on four scattered hits while striking out five. Pauly did not issue a walk in seven complete frames.

In the top half of the opening stanza, the Pride caught the Racers’ defense off guard, dropping down a suicide-squeeze bunt to move in front 1-0. Megan Willis put the visitors ahead in convincing fashion, when she drove a grand slam home run over the left field fence to extend the lead to 5-0.

The Racers made a run of things in the home half of the second when Trena Peel collected a RBI single to plate Juarez, who led off with a single. Two outs later, Jackie Pasquerella hustled on a misfielded ball by Pride third baseman Andrea Duran, which enabled Samantha Ricketts to score. Lisa Modglin then roped a single to left, driving in Peel to make it a 5-3 affair. Unfortunately for the Racers, the offensive output would end there, while the Pride capped off the day by scoring five additional runs.

In third, Kelly Kretschman’s RBI double plated Jessica Mendoza who registered a lead-off walk.
The Pride tallied two more runs in the fourth, with two outs as Kretschman delivered for her team once more, driving in Natasha Watley and Melissa Roth who each singled, giving the visitors an 8-3 advantage.

The Pride pounded the final nail in the coffin atop the seventh on Duran’s two-out two-run home run to left that barely hung inside the foul pole, accounting for today’s final, 10-3.
Akron travels to Chicago July 8th for a four game series against the Bandits before returning to Firestone Stadium, July 14th for their final five-game homestand against the USSSA Pride. For more information or tickets, please visit www.akronracers.org.

 

About USSSA Florida Pride:

The USSSA Florida Pride is a professional franchise in the National Pro Fastpitch League that is owned and operated by USSSA. The amateur organization of USSSA has multi-sport coverage and encompasses teams and players from the United States and abroad.

About NPF:

National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.

About USSSA:

The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), headquartered in Osceola County, Florida, USSSA is the World’s Largest Multi-sport Athletic Organization. Founded in 1968, USSSA has grown to over 3.7 million participants, competing in 13 nationally sanctioned sports including Baseball, Fastpitch, Slow Pitch, Karate, Basketball, Soccer and more! For more information on USSSA and to register your team visit USSSA.com. Also be sure to visit USSSAToday.com for the latest USSSA News!