Pride Defeat Diamonds 12-4, Tally 15 Hits

Boxscore

USSSA Pride 12, NPF Diamonds 4

Miami, FL– In her fourth win of the season, Cat Osterman, with help from the offense, blanked the NPF Diamonds Saturday night at Florida International University in Miami, FL, beating the Diamonds 12-4.

With the win, the USSSA Pride has reached the .500 plateau with a record of 5-5 for the 2011 season. In the win, Cat Osterman held the Diamonds to one hit while striking out eight and walking three.  Kelsi Dunne would suffer her 3rd loss of the season, surrendering 6 runs in less than 2 innings of work. At the plate the Pride offense was outstanding, as they recorded 12 runs on 15 hits.

The Pride started fast in the first inning, scoring 2 runs after Natasha Watley hit a leadoff single and Ashley Charters followed it up taking a 1-2 fastball and hitting  a home run to deep left center. Mendoza would keep it going with a single but the next three batters for the Pride were retired in order to end the first.

In the second, the Pride offense once again came out swinging, scoring 4 more runs on 3 singles and 2 doubles by the Pride batters. Alissa Haber would double home Kelsey Bruderwho reached on a lead off single. Alissa Haber, Natasha Watley, Ashley Charters, and Jessica Mendoza would all safely reach base, three of which would score.

The third inning was the devastating blow to the Diamonds as the Pride would put 6 runs on the board, bringing 11 batters to the plate, 8 batters would all reach base consecutively with 2 outs. Natasha Watley would hit a 2 RBI triple to left center scoring Haber and Duran. Charters and Mendoza would both walk and Charlotte Morgan would plate them both on a double to right center. Francesca Enea would come up and double, plating Mendoza. Willis would plate the 6th run of the inning by singling home Enea.

The Pride shutout would end when Diamonds second baseman Kristen Schnake would come up in the 5th, hitting a two out Solo home run to deep center off of Danielle Spaulding, who came in in relief for Cat Osterman. Spaulding would be taken deep again in the 6th inning, when Megan Gibson would hit a solo home run to deep center, making it 12-2 heading into the 7th.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Biannca Mejia would tag another home run onto the Diamond total, hitting a two run home run to center, plating Angeline Quiocho who had led off the inning with a single. That would be all the Diamonds would be able to muster, as the Pride would go on to win 12-4

The USSSA Pride will return to action tomorrow, Sunday, June 26th at FIU. The Pride and Diamonds will be finishing a game at 4:30pm ET that was rained out earlier in the week in Daytona. The game will start pick up where it left off, in a 3-3 tie game, in the 3rd inning.  The regular scheduled game will start at 7:05 ET/ 8:05 CT. Come out and support your team and the NPF in the Miami sunshine!