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Force win third straight

June 20, 2008 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Philadelphia Force News Release


Lowell, Mass. - Chelsea Spencer went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs to thrust the Philadelphia Force to a 5-3 victory over the New England Riptide. The win improves the first-place Force to a 9-2 record and it marks the fourth straight win against their rivals from New England.

The Riptide took an early lead on the Force. Starting pitcher Margo Pruis (3-0) walked three of the first four batters to load the bases to start the bottom of the first. Lisa Modglin then singled to give the Riptide a one-run advantage.

Philadelphia (9-2) would take the lead for good in the top of the third inning. The Force loaded the bases on a double by Emily Friedman, a walk to Clare Burnum, and a single by Sharonda McDonald. Hot-hitting Kellie Wilkerson plated Friedman and Burnum for her league-high 10th RBI of the young season. A wild pitch would then move McDonald and Wilkerson each up a base. Spencer drove home McDonald with the first of her three hits on the night, and error on a Megan Gibson grounder made the score 4-1 Force.

A Carmen Paez double scored Lisa Iancin of the Riptide (6-9) to cut the Force lead to two after three complete innings.

The game, which featured a lengthy rain delay, remained 4-2 until both teams scored single runs in the seventh inning. The Force scored their run on a walk to Wilkerson and a sacrifice bunt by Jenna Hall, which put pinch runner Amy Hudson at second base. Spencer then drove in her second run with a single off of Riptide pitcher Eileen Canney (4-4). The Riptide would get their run off of Amy Harre, who took over for Pruis in the fifth inning. Iancin singled home Gina Carbonatto, who had singled, to complete the scoring.

Pruis allowed six hits in her four innings of work, while Harre yielded three hits in three innings and picked up her first save of the season.

The two teams conclude their series on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Martin Softball field. Last year the Force and Riptide played a total of 16 times, but this year they will only play eight times due to the balanced NPF schedule being used this year. Thus, Saturday evening's game will mark the final time the two teams will meet up for the rest of the regular season.

On Thursday, the Force return to ECTB Stadium to host the Chinese-Taipei Olympic Team with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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