Kristyn Sandberg and the Pride dropped an 8-7 decision to UGA Thursday. Photo courtesy of UGA Athletics
Kissimmee, FL-November 8, 2014-Saturday afternoon the USSSA Florida Pride face off against Georgia Tech at Shirley Clements Mewborn Field in Atlanta. First pitch is set for 12:00 PM (ET) between the Pride and Yellow Jackets. The Pride dropped an 8-7 decision to the University of Georgia on Thursday in Athens. Following their game against Georgia Tech, the Pride will play an exhibition game with players participating in the USA Elite Select Showcase at 8:00 PM (ET) at Central Park in Cumming, GA. Then, the Pride play an additional All-Star exhibition game Sunday evening with the top high school fastpitch players from the state of Georgia.
The five-time ACC Champion Yellow Jackets have a rich history of NPF players including current assistant coach Charlotte Morgan, who was the Pride’s number one overall pick in 2010 and played with the Pride from 2010-2012.
“I think its great that the Pride are playing different colleges around the country because it brings awareness of the NPF to people do not know there’s a pro league for softball and it helps grow our sport. It also opens the eyes of the current college players that they could continue to play after college if they really wanted to,” said current Georgia Tech assistant coach and NPF veteran Morgan.
“Playing against the Pride gives my players a chance to see a level of play that they all strive for. Getting to play the best in our game will only help them elevate their own level of play and see what it takes to become one of the best in our game.”
Former Yellow Jackets who played in the NPF include Jessica Sallinger, Caitlin Lever, Aileen Morales, Savannah Brown, Kelsi Weseman, and 2014 All-NPF Team member Ashley Thomas.
Pride players participating in the game against Georgia Tech include two-time NCAA National Player of the Year and Canadian Olympian Danielle Lawrie, two-time USA Olympian Kelly Kretschman, 2013 NPF Offensive Player of the Year GiOnna DiSalvatore, and the 2014 NCAA Batting Champion Courtney Ceo. Other Pride players include Brigette Del Ponte (Arizona), Amanda Kamekona (UCLA), Jordan Taylor (Michigan), Cassie Tysarczyk (Texas A&M), Megan Willis (Texas), and Washington (Texas).
Following Georgia Tech, the remaining games on the Fall Tour include:
- November 11th vs. Wallace State 7:00 PM (Hanceville, AL)
- November 12th vs. UAB 7:00 PM (Birmingham, AL)
- November 13th vs. Mercer 7:00 PM (Macon, GA)
- November 15th vs. Florida State 6:00 PM (Tallahassee, FL)
This marks the second consecutive year the Pride have featured a Fall Tour with exhibition games against college teams. Additionally, USSSA helped sponsor the NPF Back-to-School Tour from 2010-2012 where players from all NPF teams traveled across the country taking on various college programs. The Fall Tour offers the USSSA Pride and the NPF a chance to play in front of crowds who may not have been previously exposed to professional softball. It also offers future and current stars of the game to come together in dynamic college atmospheres as well as the local communities.
Tickets for this afternoon’s game are free. To follow all of the action, visit www.dev.usssapride.com or follow the Pride on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #PrideFallTour.
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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