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Bandits Make Quick Work Of Pride – Capture Cowles Cup

August 23, 2011 By

Sulphur, LA - All season long the USSSA Florida Pride had softball fans confident that they would repeat as Cowles Cup Champions.  The Chicago Bandits never got that memo as they struck early and often in a 10-3 rout of the defending and regular season National Pro Fastpitch champions here at the NPF Championship Series at McMurry Park.

Series MVP, Monica Abbott kept the Pride off balance for the second day in a row and avoided a deciding game 3 by ending the Pride’s hopes of taking the Cowles Cup back home with them.  The Bandits took advantage of a 5 run 1st inning and scattered 5 additional runs took take the cup to Rosemont in 2 games.  Megan Wiggins came up huge in the Bandits win offensively and defensively.  A national audience on ESPN2 watched Wiggins go deep, hit a triple, and make a huge game changing diving catch in left field.  Meanwhile the Pride used 3 pitchers on the day, started Jordan Taylor pitched only. 1 innings and gave up 5 runs before being pulled for Sarah Pauly who was replaced later in the game by Danielle Lawrie.

The Bandits came to Sulphur as the league’s 3rd place team and go home Champions as they dismantled their rivals in 100+ degree temperatures.  The Pride who committed 4 errors on the day never found a rhythm and found themselves fighting for their softball future all game long.  Abbott and company made things tough for the Pride as they kept plugging away and never letting up.  “You can never slack up on them, you have to go into each inning like the score is 0-0″, said Wiggins.

2011 marked the second year that the 2 teams met for the Cowles Cup in Sulphur.  If you missed it, you can catch the game at 9pm CST on ESPN2 on Monday, August 22.

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Abbott leads Bandits to 4-3 Victory in Game One of Championship Series

August 21, 2011 By

Boxscore

 

Sulphur, LA – If the remainder of the quest for the Cowles Cup goes the way game 1 in the best of 3 series went, softball fans won’t be disappointed.  Game 1 of the championship round was a thriller that was decided in 8 innings with the 3 seed Chicago Bandits taking the early advantage over the defending league champion and series favorite, USSSA Florida Pride with a 4-3 win at McMurry Park.

The Pride had an early 2-0 lead before Megan Wiggins lined a 3 RBI double off of Cat Osterman in the 5th to put the Bandits ahead.  Two pitches later Osterman would be replaced by Sarah Pauly after she went down to the ground holding her pitching arm in obvious pain.

The Pride was resilient as they have been all year, in the bottom of the 7th Andrea Duran took Bandits ace Monica Abbott deep to tie the game on a solo shot to left to send the game to extra innings.  Abbott struck out 8 in the win.  But it was the bat of Vicki Galindo that kept the Bandits afloat.  Galindo went 3-3 and scored 2 runs including the game winner in the top of the 8th on an Amber Patton base hit.

The 2 teams meet again on Sunday at 1pm in front of a national audience on ESPN2.  The Pride needs a win to keep their repeat hopes alive, “we just have an extra game to play now is all” said Pride outfielder Caitlin Lowe.  Should the Pride be victorious in game 2, they will force a deciding game 3 that will follow the 1pm game.

Don’t miss your chance to be on national TV, bring your signs to the ballpark and be a part of softball history on Sunday as a champion will be crowned.  Get your tickets at the gate or at www.profastpitch.com.  Students and military personnel get in free on Sunday with a valid ID.

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Pauly Throws One Hitter: Pride Advance to Championship Series

August 20, 2011 By

Pride 7

Diamonds 0

Boxscore

Sulphur, LA – They dominated all season long, so why would tonight be any different.  The USSSA Florida Pride continued their domination here Friday night at the National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series at McMurry Park in Game 2 of their best of 3 series with the NPF Diamonds with a 7-0 win to advance to play for the NPF Championship and the chance to keep the Cowles Cup in Kissimmee.  After pulling out a last inning win in game 1 of the series earlier in the day the Pride left no doubt in softball fans minds as they earned the right to play for softball glory this weekend.

Sarah Pauly went the distance for the Pride giving up only 1 hit and striking out 10.  “Pauly threw a great game, hats off to her, she kept us off balance all night”, said Diamonds left fielder Jami Lobpries.  Pauly had a no hitter going into the bottom of the 6th before A a Paculba’s lead off single.  “Our pitching is deep, we have two all NPF pitchers in Danielle Lawrie and Cat Osterman, but Sarah is throwing as good as anyone right now”, added Pride head coach Tim Walton.

The Pride scored 2 in the 3rd inning before opening the gap in the 4th on a Natasha Watley 2 RBI single and added 2 insurance runs in the 5th to seal the deal for the NPF regular season champions.  The Pride opens the championship round tomorrow night at 7pm in an attempt to repeat as champions.  With the other semi-final between the Chicago Bandits and Akron Racers still to come tonight with game 2 of their series, Walton didn’t seem to worry about which team his Pride would face, “it doesn’t matter who we play tomorrow night, we will prepare the same way we have all season” said the Pride skipper.  The Pride has been playing with the bullseye on their back all season long, a challenge the Pride has embraced.  “Pressure is a privelege, everyone expects us to win, and I wouldn’t want it any other way” said Pride left fielder Jessica Mendoza.

The Championship Round begins at McMurry Park at 7pm Saturday night and continues on Sunday with a 1pm start for game 2.  Game 2 will be televised live on ESPN2.  Get your NPF Championship Series tickets at www.profastpitch.com.

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USSSA Pride skims past Diamonds in a nail biting first game of a double header tonight

August 19, 2011 By

Pride – 8

Diamonds – 7

Boxscore

Sulphur, LA – The regular season NPF Champion and defending Cowles Cup Champion USSSA Florida Pride and the NPF Diamonds opened their best of 3 series on Thursday night, but after 2 innings the game was postponed until Friday afternoon because mother nature decided to put on a magnificent lightning show at the National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series at McMurry Park. The game was stopped with the Pride holding a 4-0 advantage in what looked to be a dominating performance by the series number 1 seed.

Day 2 took on a different tone as the Diamonds were impressive in all aspects of the game, Kristen Schnake started the scoring out for the Diamonds with a solo blast to left center in the 5th followed by a 6 run 6th inning to take a 7-4 lead. The Diamonds faced 3 Pride pitchers, starter Danielle Lawrie was pulled in the 6th for Jordan Taylor who was later replaced by the NPF Co-Pitcher of the year Cat Osterman who pulled the Pride out of a jam. The Pride has their chances to score but Jami Lobpries robbed the Pride of a few runs with a diving catch with 1 out and the bases loaded to hold the Pride scoreless in the bottom of the 5th and give the Diamonds a great boost of confidence heading into the 6th.

Then in the bottom of the 7th the Pride showed the softball world that they were for real as Megan Willis drove in the game winning run as the Pride escaped Game 1 with an 8-7 win. Danielle Spaulding gave it all she had in the circle for the Diamonds in a losing effort.

The 2 teams tangle it up again at 6:20 in game 2 of their best of 3 series. Don’t miss a single pitch of the best softball in the world. Get your tickets to the Championship Series at www.profastpitch.com.

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Morgan Reigns Over Battle of the Bats

August 17, 2011 By

Sulphur, LA – The 2011 NPF Battle of the Bats Competition concluded Wednesday night at McMurry Park in Sulphur, Louisiana at Fan Fest of the National Pro Fast Pitch Championship Series, and the results were the same as last year’s competition.  The defending Battle of the Bats Champion, Charlotte Morgan of the USSSA Pride took home her 2nd B.O.B. title in as many years with a strong performance.  Morgan who led after the 1st round of the night with 6 home runs, turned in 4 in each the 2nd and Championship rounds to seal the deal.  Morgan, facing the Chicago Bandits Alisa Goler in the Championship round was down to her last swing, a home run wins it, and anything else takes it to a tie breaker.  Number 34 for the Pride delivered with a smash to repeat as the B.O.B. Champion.  Morgan also delivered the competitions longest bomb, a 333’ shot to left field.

 

The B.O.B. race was tight all season long and tonight was no different.  Regular season leader Dorian Shaw of the Chicago Bandits came in to Sulphur as the favorite pounding out 15 in the regular season.  Shaw failed to advance past tonight’s first round putting only 2 out of the yard.  Crowd favorite and the regular season runner-up Hoku Nohara of the Akron Racers who entered the night having hit 14 home runs advanced to the 2nd round after her 5 home run 1st round performance, but fell short of advancing to the Championship round having hit 4 in the 2nd.

 

Earlier in the evening 30 NPF players joined on the field with 19 Southwest Louisiana youth of the Awesome Kids Association in the Friends of the Pro’s Game.  The Awesome Kids Association offers sporting activities for physically challenged children and young adults and the NPF Friends of the Pros game proves to be the highlight of these children’s year.

 

The National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series begins on Thursday evening with Chicago Bandits facing the Akron Racers at 6pm, and the USSSA Pride does battle with the NPF Diamonds in the nightcap at 8:30.  Visit www.profastpitch.com for tickets.

 

Below is the round by round results from tonight’s Battle of the Bats competition:

 

1st Round:

Charlotte Morgan (Pride) – 6

Hoku Nohara (Racers) – 5

Megan Wiggins (Bandits) – 5

Alisa Goler (Bandits) – 5

Samantha Findlay (Pride) – 4

Dorian Shaw (Bandits) – 2

Jessica Mendoza (Pride) – 1

 

2nd Round:

Alisa Goler (Bandits) – 5 (10)

Charlotte Morgan (Pride) – 4 (10)

Hoku Nohara (Racers) – 4 (9)

Megan Wiggins (Bandits) – 4 (9)

 

Championship Round:

Charlotte Morgan (Pride) – 4 (14)

Alisa Goler (Bandits) – 3 (13)

MORGAN REIGNS OVER BATTLE OF THE BATS

 

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