ROSEMONT, Ill. – Looking to continue their success from last night, the Bandits entered game two of their season opening series against the Pride following a 4-1 win Thursday night.
Once again, the Pride jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first off of an RBI single by Andrea Duran.
The Bandits offense looked hot again with Amber Patton, Tammy Williams and Megan Wiggins loading the bases with singles. With the bases loaded, Kristen Butler was hit by a pitch allowing Patton to advance home and tie the game at 1. Next, Nikki Nemitz stepped up to the plate and a passed ball brought Williams home to give the Bandits a 2-1 lead.
The Pride came back on the offensive, tying the game at 2 from an RBI single by Caitlin Lowe. Patton then made a great play to snag the ball out of the air and tag the runner up on third to end the inning on an unassisted double play.
Vicky Galindo led off the bottom of the third for the Bandits with a shot to right field that just barely stayed fair. The Bandits were unable to bring Galindo home, leaving her on third as the game went into the third inning tied 2-2.
In the third the Pride regained the lead over the Bandits after an error allowed Duran to advance home, giving the Pride a 3-2 edge.
The Pride continued to build their lead in the fourth as Ashley Charters hit a double to bring in another run giving the Pride a 4-2 lead. The Bandits then made a pitching change, bringing in Meagan Denny-White for Nemitz. In her first regular season action for the Bandits, Denny-White struck out the first batter she faced.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Bandits continued to struggle to find a way to score, this time leaving Danielle Zymkowitz on third base.
In the top of the fifth, former Bandit Jamee Juarez hit a long shot to the wall in left field to bring in another run for the Pride, giving them a 5-2 lead. A Lauren Lappin single advanced Juarez to third who was then hit in by Kristyn Sandberg to grow the lead to 6-2. The Pride’s offense continued swinging, bringing the lead to 8-2 by the middle of the fifth inning.
With the Bandits desperate for runs, Tammy Williams led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run to left field to cut the lead to 8-3. Unfortunately, that would be all the offense the Bandits would get in that inning.
In the sixth inning, Jamee Juarez hit her second double of the game to the center field wall. The Bandits then brought in recent signee from open tryouts, Chanda Bell, to pitch. With the bases loaded, Bell walked the batter to extend the lead to 9-3.
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!
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