USSSA Pride Defeat Akron Racers 4-1 in Game Two at Firestone Stadium

hannah usssa pride
Hannah Rogers tossed 5.2 innings and struck out three batters, keeping the Racers to four hits to earn                                                    Powerhandz Player of the Game. Photo by Kit Mohr.

Akron, OH– June 25, 2016-The USSSA Pride improved to 12-3 on the season with a 4-1 win over the Akron Racers Sunday night.

Pride right fielder, Kelly Kretschman wasted no time in the first and recorded her third home run of the season to give the Pride an early 1-0 lead.

In the top of the second, GiOnna DiSalvatore led-off with a hard hit single up the middle. The Racers almost turned two following a hard hit grounder by Chelsea Goodacre. DiSalvatore was thrown out at 2nd but Goodacre advanced to second on a overthrown ball at first. Kirsti Merrit then hit a blooper to center to put two on for Amanda Kamekona. AK followed suit with an RBI single up the middle to score Goodacre and put the Pride up 2-0.

Kelly Kretschman then reached on a fielding error by the first baseman to lead-off the top of the third. Kretschman advanced to second on a wild pitch and shortstop Shelby Pendley drew the walk to place two on for Missy Taukeiaho with no outs. Taukeiaho capitalized with a hard hit single to left that scored Kretschman to make it 3-0.

In the bottom of the 5th, Geri Glasco responded with a solo shot for the Racers to make it 3-1, but it was the only run the Racers managed to score.

The Pride weren’t done and managed to score one more in the sixth. GiOnna DiSalvatore started everything off with a leadoff double. With one out, Kirsti Merritt recorded a one out single that scored DiSalvatore to put the Pride up 4-1.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Jordan Taylor entered the ball game for starting pitcher Hannah Rogers.

Hannah Rogers tossed 5.2 innings and struck out three batters, keeping the Racers to four hits. Rogers earned Powerhandz Player of the Game and improved to 3-0.

Jordan Taylor finished off the Racers in the bottom of the 7th with a ground out followed by two strikeouts to secure the Pride’s twelfth win of the season.

The Pride continue the 2016 season tomorrow at Alumni Field, home of Michigan softball. Purchase your tickets here: https://t.co/81in5RIBT9v ! Go Pride!

Final Score

USSSA Pride: 4

Akron Racers: 1

 

BOX SCORE
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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 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.comfor the latest USSSA.

About National Pro Fastpitch (NPF):
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2002, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in diamond sports beyond their collegiate success.  The 2016 NPF season will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Coverage includes the NPF College Draft presented by Bownet on Thur., April 14, followed by 23 regular-season games, a Championship Series Preview Special and the 2016 NPF Championship Series.  The NPF recently announced that the Scrap Yard Dawgs, located in The Woodlands, Texas, will join the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Dallas Charge, Pennsylvania Rebellion and USSSA Florida Pride for the 2016 season. National Pro Fastpitch players hail from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand, representing the most accomplished and talented athletes in the sport of women’s softball.