Force Conclude Home Series

Published on June 30, 2008 under National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Philadelphia Force News Release


The Force (13-3) just concluded a home series with their last Olympic contender opponent, Chinese-Taipei. The Force nearly swept Chinese-Taipei going 3-1 on the weekend. All but one game went into extra innings. This week, the Force travel to Akron (8-8) to play the Racers in a four game series that begins July 2 and ends July 5. The Force will be back to play at home next week when they start a series with the Rockford Thunder. The series will start July 9 and conclude on July 12.

Kellie Wilkerson continues to lead the Force offense with her .514 batting average and eighteen hits. Wilkerson also leads the team in slugging percentage (.771), on base percentage (.585), RBI (14), and total bases (27). Other current offensive threats for the Force are Sharonda McDonald and Chelsea Spencer. Both players are hitting above .300. McDonald is currently hitting .340 while Spencer is right behind her with a .320 batting average. McDonald has yet to be caught stealing in five attempts.

On the mound, rookies Megan Gibson and Katie Burkhart have been dominating forces. Gibson leads the team with the lowest ERA (.39) and opposing batting average (.158). Burkhart leads the team in wins with four, two of which were picked up against Chinese-Taipei. Burkhart also leads the team in strikeouts with 32 in 30 innings pitched.

The Opponent

The Akron Racers are currently in fourth place in the NPF. This past weekend, the Racers split a four game series with the Canadian National Team. Leading the Racers offensively is Norelle Dickinson. She is batting a team high .423, adding 11 hits. Behind Dickinson, the Racers are also being paced by Kristen Butler (.321) and Shannon Doepking (.313).

On the mound, the Racers have been seeing solid pitching from the arm of Angela Tincher. Tincher leads the team in ERA (2.40) and strikeouts (35). Angel Shamblin has also picked up two wins for Akron.

Exciting Events

There are some great events planned when the Force return to Allentown next week to celebrate the Coaches for the Cure Series. On Wednesday, July 9, the first 200 fans will receive free Majestic throwback t-shirts. Thursday will also be Dollar Dog Night. On Friday, July 11, the Force will honor another Local Treasure and on Saturday, July 12, the homerun derby style event, the Battle of the Bats, will take places prior to the start of the 7:05 game. Also, all fans who bring a $10 or more gas receipt purchased the day of game to any home game, will receive free automatic upgrade to club VIP from their purchased general admission ticket. "Awful Night", which was originally scheduled to take place on July 10, will be postponed to a later date.

Force From Your Home

Internet streaming options can still be purchases for fans who want to watch home games from their own home. Streaming can be purchased for $19.95/season, $8.95/month, or $3.95/game. For those interested in keeping track of the Force's away games, Game Tracker will be available for all of the games against Akron. The Force's games on July 5 and July 9 will both be aired on tape delay on the Fox Sports Network. The July 5 game will be aired on July 10 and the July 9 game will be aired on the 17th. Both will be shown in the 3-5 p.m. EST time slot.

Camps and Clinics

There is still a chance for young fans to enjoy Force camps and clinics. On July 14, the Force will hold a pitching and catching clinic. On July 15, the clinic with the Rockford Thunder will be held. For more information, visit the Force website at http://www.philadelphiaforce, and click on camps and clinics. Private lessons are also available for those athletes interested in one-on-one instruction.

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National Pro Fastpitch Stories from June 30, 2008


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