Preview of Pride and Racers in Akron

The NPF is back on CBS Sports Network this Monday and Tuesday night at 7PM (ET).

Kissimmee, FL– June 20, 2015- The USSSA Pride continue their season this Sunday, June 21^st in Akron, Ohio to play their first 2015 regular season series against the Akron Racers. The Akron Racers will be hosting the Pride in a three game series at Firestone Stadium this Father’s Day Weekend. This is the fourth series of the 2015 season for the Pride and the first facing the 2015 Akron Racers.

So far this season, the USSSA Pride have a 5-2 record, beating the Dallas Charge five out of seven games they’ve completed. They will be facing a new team with the Akron Racers who are currently 4-7 on the 2015 season. The Pride are coming off a 1-0 series loss against the Dallas Charge recently played in Columbia, Missouri. Game two of the series was unfortunately rained out and will not be re-scheduled. The Pride won’t be facing the Dallas Charge until we get closer to the end of the 2015 season in August and after playing seven straight games against each other both teams are ready to move on to different opponents.

First pitch is set for 4:05 PM (ET) on Sunday afternoon this Father’s Day (June 21^st). For Monday and Tuesday night (June 22^nd and 23^rd) of the series, game time is set for 7:05 PM (ET) and both will be aired live on CBS Sports Network.

Pride Players to Watch:

• Cat Osterman has had a dominating start to the 2015 season with 36 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched. She continues to dominate the mound and keeps her winning record at 3-0. Osterman has allowed 8 hits this season not allowing more than 3 per game.
• Shelby Pendley started off her rookie season with a 4 for 4 start in her first game as a professional. Her hitting streak lasted four games and she has had 4 RBI’s on the season. She has been executing the lead off position well when given the opportunity and stands with a .391 batting average, ranking her 4th in the NPF.
• Kelly Kretschman has been the key offensive player this season so far for the Pride. With 8 RBI’s and 14 hits on the season, Kretschman has been able to provide the offensive aggressiveness required to bring runners in and has had a 7-game hitting streak. Her current batting average stands at number one in the NPF with .583.
• Megan Wiggins has had an impressive start to the 2015 NPF season, with only 3 games under her belt Wiggins has managed to accumulate 5 hits out of 8 plate appearances and continues a 3-game hitting streak with a current batting average of .625.

Akron Players to Watch:

• Sarah Pauly this season has a 2-1 record and is 4^th in the league with a 1.48 ERA and has totaled 12 strikeouts in 28.1 innings pitched.
• Kelley Montalvo: The 2014 Jennie Finch Award winner and 2012 Defensive Player of the Year (shared with Amber Patton) has 5 hits and 6 RBI’s on the season.
• Jill Barrett: Named to the 2014 NPF Team as an at-large selection, currently averages .361 at the plate, ranking her 8^th in the NPF, with 13 hits, 3 RBI’s and an on-base percentage of .425.

Fun Facts

• The Akron Racers, headquartered in Akron, Ohio is the oldest existing team in the National Pro Fastpitch League.
• The last time these two teams faced each other in the regular season was August 10^th, 2014 at Firestone Stadium. The series ended in a tie at two games apiece.
• The Pride beat the Akron Racers to win the 2014 Championship Series in Hoover, Alabama last year. The Pride swept the two game series and the final score of the deciding game was 8-3. It was the first time the USSSA Pride won back-to-back titles, also winning the Cowles Cup the previous year in 2013.
• Two former Notre Dame players will be featured in this series, Emilee Koerner of the USSSA Pride and Laura Winter of the Akron Racers. Koerner and Winter played on the same Notre Dame roster for three years (2012, 2013 & 2014) and both players are from the state of California.

For tickets to the series visit dev.usssapride.com or akronracers.org. You can also purchase tickets at the gate of Firestone Stadium located at 1575 Firestone Parkway, Akron, Ohio, 44301. Game 1 of the series (June 21st) will be live streamed at 4:05 PM (ET) on www.usssalive.com and games 2 & 3 (June 22nd & 23rd) will be aired on CBS Sports Network at 7:05 PM (ET). You can find your local CBS channel by using CBS’s “Channel Finder”.

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.