Thunder Series Preview #6 â at Philadelphia Force
Published on July 28, 2009 under National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Rockford Thunder News Release
July 28, 2009 - ROCKFORD - For the second time this season the Thunder will play a team in a back-to-back situation. This time it will be on the road against the Philadelphia Force.
Rockford (12-13) won the first series with the Force (7-22) three games to two, with two of the wins coming in extra innings.
Going by the numbers, the Force outplayed Rockford in several statistical categories, including batting average, ERA and runs scored but they made a couple of mistakes to help lead them to losses.
The two teams enter the series in very different positions in the league standings. The Thunder sits in third place behind Chicago and Akron and is two games better than the USSSA Pride. Philadelphia enters the series in an almost must-win situation as they sit seven games in the loss column behind the Pride with just 10 games remaining on the schedule.
Game Schedule (all times CDT)
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - 6:35 p.m.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - 6:35 p.m.
Thursday, July 30, 2009 - 6:35 p.m.
Friday, July 31, 2009 - 6:35 p.m.
Saturday, August 1, 2009 - 6:35 p.m.
Players to watch For Philadelphia the two best players in last week's series were Megan Gibson and DeDe Justice. Justice, a former catcher for the Thunder, was in complete control against Rockford pitching as she was 8-for-17 with three doubles, two home runs and six runs batted in. Gibson was equally impressive in the series and she missed one game because of an injured ankle. The Texas A&M alum was 6-for-17 with three extra base hits, including a triple and a home run.
For the Thunder a trio of players look to build on their offensive outburst in the last series with the Force. Amanda Williams was 6-for-15 in the series with a double and a team-best five RBIs. Shanel Scott was 6-for-14 with a triple and four runs scored and Megan Willis was 5-for-15 in the series and more than doubled her total hits on the season. The Thunder will also look for big starts in the circle from Allison Kime and Cat Osterman. Osterman will be pitching in her first game with the Thunder since June 20 when she takes the mound on Wednesday night.
Probable Starters
Game #1 - ROC: Allison Kime (3-5, 3.24) vs. Jessica Sallinger (2-4, 3.22)
Game #2 - ROC: Cat Osterman (6-0, 0.16) vs. Megan Gibson (1-6, 2.83)
Game #3 - ROC: Samantha Sheeley (1-3, 4.35) vs. Kristin Erb (2-5, 3.02)
Game #4 - ROC: Kime vs. Sallinger
Game #5 - ROC: Osterman vs. Gibson
On the Air
Fans will have the opportunity to watch the games at no charge by visiting http://www.philadelphiaforce.com/live/. All five games of the road trip will be streamed for live viewing and stats will be available through Gametracker.
For more information on the Thunder contact the Thunder at (815) 965-7000. For additional information on the team visit them on the web at www.thunderprofastpitch.com.
National Pro Fastpitch Stories from July 28, 2009
- Force Take Game One from Thunder - Philadelphia Force
- Thunder Series Preview #6 â at Philadelphia Force - Rockford Thunder
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.
