ROSEMONT, Ill. (July 22, 2017) – A five-run first inning and a quality start from Shelby Turnier propelled the Chicago Bandits to a Saturday night win over the USSSA Pride at The Ballpark at Rosemont. It marked the first win over USSSA since the Bandits topped the Pride in three games to claim the 2016 Cowles Cup title.
The Bandits wasted no time giving Turnier a comfortable cushion in the circle, building an early five-run lead. Brenna Moss and Emily Carosone led off the home half of the first with back-to-back base hits, followed by a sharply-hit RBI-single from Natalie Hernandez. Sahvanna Jaquish stepped into the box and delivered a double off the left field wall and Sammy Marshall and Alexa Peterson later added RBI-base hits of their own to provide Turnier a 5-0 advantage out of the gate.
Chicago (17-16) tacked on another run in the second inning when Moss touched home on a fielder’s choice groundout off the bat of Emily Crane.
Meanwhile, Turnier (W, 2-4), continued to cruise in the circle. The right-hander tossed four innings, allowing just two hits and one run en route to her second win of the season and Vaultz® Lock It Up!® Player of the Game honors.
“She was awesome,” Bandits head coach Sharonda McDonald said. “She just did her job and she got the outs when she needed to get the outs.”
The Pride scored their lone run against Turnier in the third after Megan Wiggins split the right-center gap with an RBI-double.
Crane added a seventh run to the Bandits’ total in the fifth when she collected her sixth home run of the season, an inside-the-park blast over the head of USSSA’s left fielder. The homer placed Crane in a tie for third among home run leaders in the NPF.
“She’s started some fires for us and has been a really good spark,” McDonald said. “You gotta (sic) have her in the lineup right now.”
USSSA scored a pair in the seventh on a two-run home run from Shelby Pendley, but Haylie Wagner prevented any further damage and was credited with her first save of the season.
“We were all really excited to be back on our home field,” Turnier said. “We struggled against [the Pride] so far this season, so to get a win back on our home field feels amazing.”
The Bandits will look to make it two wins in a row against USSSA as they square off against the Pride again on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:05 p.m. CST at The Ballpark at Rosemont. The game will be broadcast on NPF TV.
Follow along with the Bandits on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live score updates throughout the season.
For more information about the Chicago Bandits or to purchase tickets to any home game during the remainder of the 2017 season, please visit chicagobandits.com or call the box office at 877-722-6348.
Click here for Box Score
Quick Facts:
Attendance: 1,562
Time of game: 1 hour, 58 minutes
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 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF):
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2004, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in fastpitch softball beyond their collegiate and amateur success. The NPF affiliate teams consist of the Akron Racers, Beijing Shougang Eagles, Chicago Bandits, Scrap Yard Dawgs, Texas Charge and USSSA Florida Pride for the 2017 season. National Pro Fastpitch players hail from the United States, Australia, Canada and China among which are the most accomplished and talented athletes in the sport of women’s softball.
About USSSA:
USSSA is headquartered in Brevard 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
You must be logged in to post a comment Login