Force Game Notes

August 12, 2008 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Philadelphia Force News Release


After a four-game away series with the Rockford Thunder, the Force (27-17) will be back at ECTB Stadium on August 13-16 to take on the Akron Racers (19-25) for the final 2008 regular season series. Against Rockford (18-26), the third place Force went 3-1 to secure themselves a spot in the NPF playoffs. Ahead of the Force in NPF standings are the Washington Glory (29-15) and the Chicago Bandits (28-16). The Force's series versus Akron is essential to determine the final playoff seeding. It is also essential for Akron as they compete for the fourth place spot with the New England Riptide (18-26).

The top five hitters for the Force going into the series are Kellie Wilkerson (.396), Sharonda McDonald (.300), Chelsea Spencer (.288), Emily Friedman (.288) and Trena Peel (.273). Wilkerson continues to lead the NPF in batting average (.396). She also leads her team in several offensive categories including on-base percentage (.477), slugging percentage (.541), and hits (44). Spencer has also scored the most runs on the team (27).Clare Burnum slightly trails Spencer with 26 runs scored. Peel continues to lead the team with her eight home runs.

The Force received contribution from all Force pitchers throughout the Rockford series. Margo Pruis, Megan Gibson, and Jodie Cox all picked up wins on the weekend. Katie Burkhart still leads the team in ERA (2.07) and strikeouts (137).

The Opponent

Kristen Butler leads the Akron offense with a .327 batting average. Butler leads the team in several offensive categories including hits (36) and RBI's (33). Norelle Dickson is the only other player for the Racers batting above .300. Dickson is hitting .303 with 33 hits and 16 runs scored.

On the mound, Angela Tincher leads the Racers and the league with 12 recorded wins. Tincher has a 2.01 ERA with 127 strike outs in 115.0 innings pitched. Angel Shamblin and Radara McHugh are the only other Akron pitchers to earn wins on the season. Shamblin has picked up four wins while McHugh has two.

Force From Your Home

All Force games will be available on live streaming except the game on August 15 due to contract obligations with FSN. The FSN game will be shown the following Thursday, August 21, at 3:00 p.m. The game on August 13 will also be available on Service Electric channel 2. All games will also be viewable via Game Tracker.

Exciting Events

On August 13-16, the Force will be playing their last regular season series. Throughout this series, the Force will be holding the "Dog Days of Summer" series. During this series, Fans are encouraged to come out and celebrate the last days of summer with the Force.

On Wednesday, August 13, the Force will be welcoming Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. During this evening, Kellie Wilkerson and athletic trainer, Julie Robitaille, will be donating their hair to Locks of Love. Fans in attendance are also welcome to donate their hair to the cause. Metro Beauty Academy will be cutting the hair of the donors, and those who participate will receive 10% off coupons to participating salons. Wednesday will be another college night, and another opportunity for the first 300 fans in the stadium to receive a free Majestic throwback replica NPF t-shirt. The Player Passion will be Kellie Wilkerson, as she spent the last year growing her hair out in order to donate it to her favorite charity, Locks of Love.

Thursday, August 14, fans will have the opportunity to bring their pooch to the park. Dogs will be permitted at ECTB Stadium in the picnic area. The Force will provide water for the pets, and those who bring their dogs are asked to bring bags to keep the area clean. There will also be a special Dollar Dog Night. As always, hot dogs will be one dollar but there will be twenty different condiments provided to hungry fans. In connection with Dollar Dog Night, the Force will be holding a Creative Condiment Combo Contest. The most creative hot dog combo will be the featured as the Force hot dog. Fans in attendance will also receive free Hatfield Megaphones, and the first 300 fans will receive a Majestic NPF T-shirt. Amy Hudson will be the Player Passion as she shows her love for animals by supporting the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society. PAWS is dedicated to saving the lives of Philadelphia's homeless, abandoned and unwanted animals. Taking in nearly 30,000 animals each year, and operating the highest volume shelter in the region.

On Friday, August 15, the Force will hold Service Electric Night. John Walson, Sr.,the founder of Service Electric will be honored as the Local Treasure. Friday's theme will be "Watch the Stars Come Out Tonight" as athletes from the Iron Pigs, Reading Phillies, and the Philadelphia Soul will all be in attendance. Fans will also receive freeze pops and there will be Maui Wowi specials. The Force will also be introducing the Diamond Diva Program where mothers, daughters, and friends can enjoy a membership for the 2009 season. Katie Burkhart will be the Player Passion as she shows her love for the game and stresses the importance of family, fun, and fitness.

On Saturday August 16 the "Battle of the Bats" will take place prior the game at 6:20 p.m. Saturday will also be ASA night. ASA teams in attendance and state champions will be honored throughout the game and there will be a parade prior to the game. Also, ASA teams will receive a free upgrade to VIP at the general admission price. August 16 will also be the last regular season game for the Force, so come out and say farewell to the 2008 regular season and wish them good luck in Kimberly. Any fan who brings their flight itinerary or hotel reservations will receive a free Force Nation t-shirt.

Other News

It was recently announced that the Diamond Baseball Academy has teamed up with the Force as a corporate sponsor. Diamond Baseball Academy will host the Force's 2009 spring training and in turn, Force players will wear the sponsor's logo on their batting practice jerseys. The Force and Diamond Baseball also will be putting together a 16-u travel softball team called the Diamond Force. Tryouts will be upcoming. Diamond Baseball will also be the official host of Force camps and clinics that will be held throughout the off-season. For more information on the Force and their new sponsor, go to http://www.philadelphiaforce.com.

Because there will be a Force game shown in the regularly scheduled time slot on Service Electric channel 2, this week's Force Forum will be shown at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 13.

This past weekend, the Force secured a spot in the NPF playoffs. This year, the playoffs will be held at Sunset Point Park in Kimberly, Wisconsin from August 21-24. Tickets to the games are available from Cardinal Youth Softball and special room rates are available from the Hampton Inn in the Appleton-Fox River Mall Area. For more information on the playoffs, visit http://www.profastpitch.com/fanz/cseries/.



National Pro Fastpitch Stories from August 12, 2008


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