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Force bested by Thunder

August 11, 2008 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Philadelphia Force News Release


Roscoe, Illinois- Rockford Thunder Stephanie Best had two RBI's and the team's only two hits as the Thunder avoided the sweep by taking game four of the series with the Philadelphia Force by a score of 3-2.

The loss dropped the Force two games behind the Washington Glory for the top spot in the NPF standings with just four games remaining and one full game behind the Chicago Bandits for second place. The Force have already been assured a playoff spot in the Kimberly, Wisconsin four-team championship tournament which will be held August 22-24.

The Thunder (18-26) got the scoring started in the second inning. Shanna Diller started the frame by reaching on a hit-by-pitch. A successful sacrifice bunt by Victoria Batistelli moved Diller up one base. With Mandy Phillips at the plate, Force starter Katie Burkhart uncorked a wild pitch to send Diller to third. Then later in Phillips' at-bat, another pitch got away from Burkhart, and Diller raced home with the game's first run.

In the bottom of the third, the Thunder would add to their lead. Lindsay Gardner and Tonya Callahan both worked walks to begin the inning. Kristen Zaleski moved up both runners with a bunt for the first out of the inning. Best then followed with Rockford's first hit of the contest, a single to score Gardner to make the score 2-0.

The Force quickly answered this run. With one out, Savannah Long sent a Serena Settlemier pitch over the left field fence to cut the Thunder lead to just one run. For Long it was home run number five on the season.

But the Thunder would get that run back in the fifth inning. With one out, Callahan drew her second walk of the game. A Zaleski fielder's choice retired Callahan and put Zaleski at first base. With Best at the plate, Zaleski moved to second on another wild pitch. Best continued her plate appearance and singled for her, and Rockford's, second hit of the game. This one scored Zaleski, and the Thunder was up 3-1.

It was then the Force's turn to score a solo run. They would add their second run of the contest in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, Trena Peel singed to center field. Chelsea Spencer followed with a grounder to third base and the ball was thrown away by the Thunder infield allowing Peel to go to third and Spencer to be safe at first. With Jenna Hall at the plate, Spencer swiped second base, her seventh of the year. Hall then lifted a fly ball to left field which was hauled in for the second out. It was deep enough to score Peel just before Spencer was tagged out trying to move up to third base to end the inning.

With the score 3-2, the Force (27-17) mounted a threat in the top of the last inning. One out into the inning, Megan Gibson worked a walk. Kristen Miller followed Gibson with a single to put runners on first and second. Settlemier was then replaced in the circle by Danielle Scoggins. The new pitcher got Emily Friedman to fly out to right field and on the play Gibson moved to third. So with runners on first and third, and two outs, Clare Burnum drew a base on balls to load the bases. But Scoggins got Sharonda McDonald to line out to third base to end the threat and the ball game.

With the Thunder win, and coupled with losses by the New England Riptide and Akron Racers, Rockford enters the last four games of the year trailing both of those two by one game in a battle for the fourth and final playoff spot.

Settlemier (3-10) picks up the win for the Thunder. She worked the first 6.1 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on six Force hits. Settlemier recorded four strikeouts. Scoggins earned the two-out save while walking one of the three batters she faced.

For the Force, Burkhart (11-5) was credited with the complete game defeat. She tossed six innings and struck out eight Thunder batters. Burkhart is now tied with Akron's Angela Tincher for league lead in strikeouts with 137. She allowed three runs, two earned, on the two Best hits.

With the road regular season schedule completed, the Force return home to finish off the regular season. Starting on Wednesday, the Kimberly-bound Force will welcome Tincher and the Akron Racers, who are battling for their playoff lives, to ECTB Stadium to begin a four-game set. First pitch for all games is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. This series will have Dog Days of Summer theme. Also on Wednesday, the player passion will be the league's leading hitter, Kellie Wilkerson (.396 average), and her charity Locks of Love. Metro Beauty Academy will be the game day sponsor.



National Pro Fastpitch Stories from August 11, 2008


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