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Philadelphia Force game notes

August 3, 2006 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Philadelphia Force News Release


The Series

The Philadelphia Force hits the road again for a four-game series against the third place Connecticut Brakettes. The two teams will play one game a night, beginning August 3rd, with game time set for 7:05 PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 5:05 PM on Sunday. The series will take place at the Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field, and access to the live audio webcasts can be reached at www.ctbrakettes.com . Game recaps and box scores will be available following each game at www.philadelphiaforce.com .

The Force enters the series looking to redeem itself after falling to the Akron Racers in three of four games in last week's series. After powering past the Racers in game one by a score of 7-0 on seven hits and five Akron errors, Philadelphia found itself on the losing end of game two, which saw four lead changes. Finally, Akron ran away with the series lead by dominating game three and four, 14-6 and 8-0 respectively.

The Opponents

The Connecticut Brakettes post a 19-12 record, good for third in the NPF, but the threatening New England Riptide are in second place are only one game ahead. Connecticut took on the Riptide last weekend in a four-game series, dropping three games. Jessica Merchant leads the Brakettes at the plate as a whole package, bringing both consistency and power. She has notched a .375 batting average and posted a league-leading 9 homeruns, good for a .813 slugging percentage. 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, Kelly Kretschman leads all Connecticut batters with a .423 batting average, and hurler Sarah Pauly leads the pitching staff with a miniscule 1.24 ERA.

These two teams attempted to play each other in a four-game series back in June, but the rain forced three rainouts. In the one complete game, Connecticut walked away with the win by a score of 3-1 in extra innings. Leto led the Force offensively, going 2-for-4 on the night and posting the team's only RBI.

Welcome Back!

The Force is happy to announce the return of centerfielder Sarah Fekete into the lineup. Fekete will take the field tonight for Philadelphia after the World University Team kept her away for the majority of the season thus far. The Force will look to Fekete to continue her hot play in the NPF in her rookie campaign, as she is on a ten-game hitting streak, which in fact is the entirety of her professional career. She currently leads the team with a .400 batting average.

Perfection

Going into the August portion of the schedule this weekend, there are still five Force starters who boast perfect 1.000 fielding percentages. Emily Friedman has handled the hot corner at third base, fielding 48 chances with no error, and Stephanie VanBrakle serves as more than a pitcher, fielding her position perfectly in 32 chances. Three Force outfielders have covered the green without error for Philadelphia, including: Stacie Pestrak (43 chances), Jamie Dacey (29 chances), and Sarah Fekete (11 chances).

Force MySpace

Check out the official Philadelphia Force MySpace page, featuring franchise information, fun facts, and your favorite player's pages. Fans can log onto the player's page to see action shots, read personal blogs, and leave messages. Check out www.myspace.com/philadelphiaforce to show your support!

Upcoming Promotions

The Philadelphia Force has presented unique promotional nights throughout every homestand this summer and there will be no shortage of them as the 2006 season wraps up.

August 10th will be the final night of the fan-favorite Dollar Dog Night and will also be dubbed "Beach Night." Inkredible Events will be giving away beach balls to some lucky fans.

August 11th is ECTB Night at the ballpark. The first 200 kids under 12 through the gate will receive a free t-shirt, courtesy of ECTB. Come out tonight and you will be automatically entered to win a one-week stay at the Vacation Village-Parkway in Orlando, Florida, one of Orlando's newest resorts and timeshares, courtesy of Vacation Choices, Inc. and ECTB.

August 13th is Breast Cancer Awareness Day, which will feature a bookmark giveaway at the gate. Fans wearing pink to the game will receive $1.00 off of admission; proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. Pink flowers will be given to the first 300 women to enter the gates, courtesy of Phoebe Floral Shop. Game time is set for 1:00 PM.

August 15th is "Hawaiian Night" at the park. All fans will receive Hawaiian leis at the gate, and you will get $1.00 off of admission if you wear Hawaiian clothes (shirts or shorts).

August 16th features a brown bag giveaway from Coupons Galore. Force favorite, Jolly Holly the clown will be in the concourse area for the fan's entertainment.

August 22nd rounds out this year's promotional nights with "Mardi Gras Night." The first 400 fans will receive Mardi Gras beads.



National Pro Fastpitch Stories from August 3, 2006


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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