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NPF Akron Racers

Racers Rally Comes up Short against Dawgs

July 20, 2016 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Akron Racers News Release


AKRON, OH - The Akron Racers dropped the series finale with the Scrap Yard Dawgs 5-3 at Firestone Stadium on Wednesday afternoon as the home run once again buoyed the Dawgs' offense, with three blasts accounting for all of the offense on the winning side.

After the Racers opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly by first baseman Sam Fischer to score centerfielder Taylor Schlopy in the bottom of the first inning, the Dawgs (20-13) bounced back with back-to-back home runs by designated player Taylore Fuller and catcher Megan May-Whitley in the top of the second inning. Fuller's blast plated shortstop Madison Shipman and first baseman Lexi Overstreet, before May-Whitley's shot gave the Dawgs a 4-1 lead.

"We have got to re-charge," Akron field manager Brian Levin said. "We are flat and I don't know what that's going to take, but we have to come back for practice tomorrow ready to go. I mean we just look out of energy."

Energy may have been a factor for the Racers (19-15) as they finished a stretch of nine games in 10 days, which included playing the last eight days consecutively. But the Racers did show enough in the tank to mount a rally that fell just short.

Designated player Ashley Thomas (Georgia Tech) answered the Dawgs' big inning with a solo home run to right field in the bottom half of the second inning to cut the lead to 4-2. The bomb was Thomas' eighth extra base hit on the season - a new career-high.

Then in the fourth inning, right fielder Cassie Tysarczyk (Texas A&M) kept the Racers chipping away as she sent a solo shot over the wall in left centerfield, which made it a one-run game.

"I'm going to credit it to our pitcher's letting me stand in their bullpens and kind of seeing that movement continuously even when I'm not in the lineup," Tysarczyk said. "And they have really given me an opportunity to set myself up for success."

Rachel Fox got the start in the circle for the Dawgs and tossed four innings, allowing three runs on five hits before getting replaced by Monica Abbott. Abbott closed the book on the Racers as she finished the last 3.0 innings, allowing just one hit and retiring nine of the 10 batters she faced to earn her second save of the season.

In the top of the seventh inning the Racers' comeback attempt got a little tougher as Nerissa Myers hit her third home run in the series to push the Dawgs' lead out to 5-3.

Akron starting pitcher Rachele Fico (LSU) came out throwing heat as she struck out a pair of Dawgs in the first inning, which set the tone for the rest of the night as she finished with eight strikeouts over 7.0 innings. In a stretch from the second to the third inning, Fico struck out four-straight batters.

"You know, (nine games in 10 days impacted us) just like it would impact anybody," Thomas said. "You try to work up some energy and do whatever you can to make sure you are staying intense and all that.

"And that's what we tried to do and on anyone's body it's going to be rough (with) eight straight games, it's hard to do. But we are ready to keep going."

Keep going they must do. With the conclusion of the six-game home stand today, the Racers will travel to Disney World for a three game series against the first place USSSA Pride, beginning on July 23. They will then make the trip back home from Orlando to take on the Chicago Bandits at Firestone Stadium for a three-game series on July 27. For ticket information contact the Akron Racers box office at 330-376-8188.



National Pro Fastpitch Stories from July 20, 2016


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