Riptide clinch playoff spot with 8-3 win over Akron
August 10, 2006 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
New England Riptide News Release
Akron Ohio, August 9th- The New England Riptide clinched a playoff berth with eight games remaining as the bats came alive with an 8-3 win over the Akron Racers in Akron last night. The Riptide improved to 23-12 and will face Akron twice more before returning for the final four home games against the Texas Thunder next week. The Tide came out early against Akron starter, Brandee McArthur (6-8). With one out in the first Jackie Pasquerella slapped a single, moved to second on a wild pitched and to third on a Lyndsey Angus single. Tarrah Beyster knocked in Pasqeurella with a hard single up the middle. The Riptide increased their lead to 2-0 in the third when Lisa Iancin singled and scored on Kristin Vesley's double.
The Racers answered with one of their own in the bottom of the third when Emily Price blasted a solo homerun off Riptide starter Danielle Henderson. Henderson was only as good as she had to be tonight in picking up her seventh win of the season against three losses. She struggled through the third and fourth innings, yielding a run in the bottom of the fourth and one more in the fifth when lead off batter Sara Larquier went deep for the Racer's third run. Erica Beach came on in relief and shut the Racers down for the final three innings, striking out four and allowing only one hit and one base on balls. Beach picked up her first save of the season since coming to the Riptide on July 1st.
Meanwhile the Riptide were busy putting this one away. KJ Kelley's two run homerun, her third of the year, in the fifth put the Riptide up 4-2. That gap was closed to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth when Larquier homered, but the Riptide put it away in the top of the sixth. The Tide loaded the bases with no out on consecutive singles by Lindy Winkler and Pasquerella. An Angus walk loaded them for Beyster who cam through with her second and third RBIs of the night singling in Winkler and Pasquerella. A walk to Kelley reloaded the bases and an error on an attempted force out at home made the score 7-3. Vesley's sacrifice fly scoring Tiffany Stewart, who pinchran for Beyster made the score 8-3 which stood until the end. The Riptide recorded eleven hits on the night, the fourth time they have been in double figures this year.
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