2017 season
USSSA Pride Claims Fourth Consecutive Regular Season Championship Title
Viera, FL (August 6, 2017) – Concluding the weekend series in outstanding fashion, the USSSA Pride (33-8) swept the Scrap Yard Dawgs (29-16) clutching Game 3, 3-0. With the win, the Pride claimed its fourth straight Regular Season Championship Title. In seven years within the National Pro Fastpitch, the franchise collected a total of six titles and has now secured the number one seed headed into the Cowles Cup.
In the circle, Jessica Burroughs (1-0) earned her first win in the National Pro Fastpitch with a six-inning shutout. The 2017 First-Overall Draft Pick tamed the Dawgs bats, allowing solely two hits for a game batting average of .091. Prior to entering her first season within the NPF, Burroughs was named 2017 ACC Pitcher of the Year and earned a spot on the 2017 All-ACC First Team, while being selected within the NFCA First Team All-American selection. The former Seminole finished her senior year with an ERA of 1.22 and an overall record of 27-5, collecting 266 strikeouts over 195 innings pitched. After the night outing, the former Garnet & Gold pitcher counts seven strikeouts and six walks in 24.2 innings pitched, with an ERA of 3.00
Blasting three homeruns over the three game series, Chelsea Goodacre lit up in the box once again, ending the night event with a 3-for-3 performance and driving in one run for the Pride. With her nine homeruns, the USSSA catcher conquered the second spot among the NPF leaderboard, right behind fellow teammate Shelby Pendley, who leads the League with a total of 12 home runs. The former Wildcat now counts 26 RBIs and 34 hits for a batting average of .298, and posts a slugging percentage of .544.
Ending the night with a perfect score, Sierra Romero aided the USSSA offense to lock the sweep against Scrap Yard. Romero went 2-for-3 at the plate with one double, one single and one RBI. The second baseman sits in second in the NPF leaderboard for RBI with 30, and takes the fourth spot for slugging percentage with a .587. In 103 at bats, the former Wolverine counts 32 hits, including seven homeruns, six doubles and one triple.
The Pride kick started the game in the bottom of the first, when Romero shot a double to left center to drive home Kelly Kretschman and put USSSA ahead, 1-0. In the bottom of the second, Goodacre went yard once again, snatching her third homerun for the home series to increase the Pride’s stretch, 2-0. As both teams wrapped up the fourth, fifth and sixth with quick frames, the Pride tacked one more run in the sixth, when Lauren Chamberlain dropped a solo shot behind the left field fence to further increase the USSSA lead, 3-0. In the seventh, Hannah Rogers flawlessly closed the game for her first seasonal save to cap the title-winning game, 3-0.
The 2017 Regular Season Champions will be back on the field tomorrow to welcome the Eagles in the last home series before heading to Baton Rouge. Teams will line up at 7:05 p.m. EST.
Quick Facts
Attendance: 325
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Vaultz® Lock It Up!® Player of Game: Jessica Burroughs (USSSA Pride)
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.
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.