By: Jarrod Johnson
Hoover, Ala. – in two hours and one minute the Chicago Bandits defeated the USSSA Pride 1 to 0 to win the 2015 NPF Championship. Game 2 saw a rematch between Monica Abbott vs. Cat Osterman. For the second straight day it was errors that cost the Pride and Monica Abbott got the complete game shutout.
Abbott received a scare in the second inning when Shelby Pendley just missed a home run off the left field wall. Abbott was able to settle down and get out of the inning.
In the bottom of the second Osterman struck out Megan Blank to start the inning. Tammy Williams got on base after an error by shortstop Madison Shipman. This is when things came unraveled for the Pride as the next batter Danielle Zymkowitz reached base on a catcher’s interference. Vicky Galasso reached on a throwing error by Osterman, scoring Tammy Williams for the game’s only run. Zymkowitz originally scored on the same play but the third base umpire reversed the call. In total the Pride had three errors in the 2nd inning.
Abbott struck out Amanda Kamekona on the 102 to put the final exclamation point on the MVP for the NPF Championship. Her combined line for the championship series was fourteen innings pitched, giving up just four hits with three walks and thirteen strikeouts.
The Pride’s hottest hitters, Shipman and Pendley went a combined 0-6 with three k’s.
Cat Osterman pitched her heart out for the two games giving up zero earned runs for the thirteen innings she pitched. The Pride defensive woes let her down for the second straight game.
The National Pro Fastpitch thanks all the fans and the teams for a successful 2015 season.
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.
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.
About USSSA:
USSSA is 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.
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