Racers Fall to Pride in the Seventh Inning
June 27, 2016 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
USSSA Pride News Release
Alex Hugo of the Akron Racers
(Akron Racers)
ANN ARBOR, MI - It was a hard-fought game between the Akron Racers and the USSSA Pride that ended in a 5-4 win for the Pride. The first game of the Michigan series was the third consecutive win against the Racers and the sixth consecutive win overall for the Pride.
The Pride trailed the Racers for most of the game and had to chip away one run at a time. They went down early after the Racers scored two runs in the top of the first inning on a two-run single by Alex Hugo that scored Sam Fischer and Taylor Schlopy.
The Pride got the runs back in the second off a pair of hits from Amanda Kamekona and Chelsea Goodacre.
Fischer led off the top of the third inning with a home run and taking the 3-2 lead for the Racers. The very next inning Sami Fagan drove in pinch runner Emily Messer to extend Akron's lead to 4-2.
Kamekona returned the favor in the fourth, knocking one out off of Rachele Fico to cut the Racer advantage to 4-3. Kamekona scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the sixth inning off a Megan Wiggins single.
With the score tied 4-4 in the seventh with runners on first and second and two outs, Hallie Wilson ripped a line drive over the head of left fielder Alex Hugo and drove in Kirsti Merritt to win the game.
The walk-off hit was the second hit of the game for Wilson (2-4) and the fourteenth for the Pride.
Shelby Pendley, while lacking her usual luster at the plate, flashed some leather on a couple of occasions. Trying to hold the Racers in the sixth, Pendley dove to her backhand side to keep the ball in the infield and got to her knees to get a quick out at first. Two plays later she made a difficult play on the run to end the inning and complete her SportsCenter-worthy highlight reel.
Jolene Henderson picked up the win for the Pride, facing four batters in one inning pitched and keeping the Racers from scoring. Her scoreless inning gave the Pride an opportunity to win it, needing just one run to take the game.
The Racers return to Akron tomorrow night to take on the Pennsylvania Rebellion at Firestone Stadium in the first game of a two-game series at 7:05 p.m.
The Pride return to Ann Arbor tomorrow to face the Chicago Bandits for the first time this season. First pitch is set for 7:00 PM (ET).
Images from this story
 Alex Hugo of the Akron Racers |
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- Pride Claw Their Way Back to Defeat the Racers - USSSA Pride
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