Despite a rocky start, the USSSA Pride finished Monday’s game at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee in an explosive fashion, defeating the Chicago Bandits 13-6. The Pride (13-10) scored 11 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning in another impressive offensive showing following Sunday’s 17-2 win.
Pride rookie pitcher Brittany Mack (3-3) allowed four runs in the first inning, when Bandits catcher Kristen Butler hit a grand slam. From there on out, though, Mack held the Bandits to two runs, allowing only eight hits and striking out four batters.
The game was relatively quiet through the fourth inning, with the Pride orchestrating a two-run attack in the fourth that was cut short. Pride outfielder Kelly Kretschman nearly made a game-changing homerun that fell just short of the wall, but the Pride got their chance in the next inning.
The Pride took the field in the bottom of the fifth determined to capitalize on the Bandits pitching, with 10 batters taking the field before recording an out. Shortstop Natasha Watley lead the team with two runs and four RBIs, including a grand slam.
Rookie catcher Kristyn Sandberg had yet another exceptional night, with two runs and two RBIs in the game, including a two-run homerun to give the Pride a 5-4 lead. The crowd exploded along with the Pride’s bats, starting cheers and chants which only fueled the team through the rest of the inning.
The Bandits ran through three pitchers in an attempt the save the game. Nikki Nemitz (5-4) recorded the loss after being taken out of the game in the fifth inning, while Meagan Denny-White and Chandra Bell eached pitched one inning.
The win brings the Pride within a game and a half of the Bandits in the NPF standings. They now travel to Akron to take on the Racers this weekend. Go to dev.usssapride.com for recaps from the games.
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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