Pride Beat Bandits 4-3 in Extra Inning Thriller

ROSEMONT, Ill.-August 3, 2014–It took 10 innings and an international tie breaker (ITB) for the USSSA Florida Pride to defeat the Chicago Bandits 4-3 at The Ballpark at Rosemont in Rosemont, IL. Cat Osterman, who came into the game in the fifth inning to relieve starter Chelsea Thomas, picked up her 14th win of the season. A sacrifice fly by Kristyn Sandberg in the 10th served as the game winner.

The Pride struck first as Kelly Kretschman recorded the game’s first hit, bringing Sandberg to the plate. She would reach on an error allowing Kretschman to round home for the 1-0 lead. The Bandits defense would shut them down the rest of the inning, getting Amanda Kamekona to ground out to second base, as the Bandits came up to bat.

In the fourth, the Pride extended their lead following back-to-back hits by Sandberg and GiOnna DiSalvatore, which brought Megan Willis up to bat. Her sac fly plated Sandberg, giving the Pride a two run lead over the Bandits.  Natasha Watley’s single later in the inning made it a three run game.

A pitching change in the fifth brought Estela Pinon into the circle, getting Willis to ground out to end the inning.

A three run fifth for the Bandits would tie the game as Brittany Cervantes added to her home run total, giving her 10 for the season with her lead off solo shot to the Party Deck in left field which cut the Pride lead to two runs. Osterman entered the game in the fifth following a walk to Alisa Goler and a single by Cheyenne Coyle by Thomas. Megan Wiggins tripled to plate both base runners, as the Bandits tied things up at three.

Hitters on both teams were shut down by Pinon and Osterman as the game headed to extra innings, locked in a 3-3 tie.

The Bandits threatened in the eighth as Tammy Williams doubled later advancing to third, but a ground out by Amber Patton would end the inning.

Monica Abbott entered the circle in the ninth inning for the Bandits, going 1-2-3 against the Pride batters, but the Bandits offense continued to be shut down as well by Osterman.

International tie breaker rules (ITB) were put into effect to start the 10th inning putting Shipman at second for the Pride. They would take the lead off a Sandberg sac fly as the Bandits came to bat, down by one.

Alex Booker started at second as the Bandits ITB runner while Danielle Zymkowitz led off with a single, putting runners on the corners for Wiggins. The Bandits threatened throughout the inning, loading the bases twice but were unable to capitalize falling to the Pride, 4-3.

In her 4.2 innings pitched, Andi Williamson gave up three runs on seven hits with one strikeout but it was Abbott (6-5) who suffered the loss after allowing the winning run in the tenth.

Pride starter Chelsea Thomas lasted four innings, allowing three runs on four hits while Cat Osterman (14-0) recorded the win, keeping the Bandits offense at bay, giving up just three runs with eight strikeouts.

BOX SCORE LINK: Click here

LOCATION: Ballpark at Rosemont

SCORE (Game One): Bandits 3, Pride 4

RECORDS: Bandits (23-16), Pride (28-11)

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 Chicago Bandits
Since 2005, the Chicago Bandits have been members of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. Located in Rosemont, the Bandits provide an opportunity for female fastpitch players to further their careers at a professional level, and the roster has included such names as Jennie Finch, Stacy May-Johnson and Monica Abbott. The two-time NPF Champions play at The Ballpark at Rosemont, the only stadium in the country built for a women’s professional team. The 2014 season will be the Bandits 10th season in the NPF.

About National Pro Fastpitch
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn.  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 and has been since 2002.