JULY 31 NPF UPDATE
July 31, 2005
- Houston, Texas-- With one run in the third and one more in the sixth, that
would prove all the support Thunder would need as they squeezed past the So Cal
Schutt Hurricanes with a final score of 2-0 to close out the series and move to
28-8 on the season. Thunder starter Piper Marten tossed a complete game shutout
allowing just five hits with three strikeouts. With the win, Thunder takes their
fourth consecutive series and stay in strong pursuit of the playoff hunt.
Thunder jumped on the board with their first run in the bottom of the third as
catcher Crystal Krebs walked and designated player Erin Evans followed with a
bunt single. After a sacrifice bunt by left fielder Kim Nesloney, Krebs made her
way across the plate with a timely passed ball.
Kristen Zaleski does
it again!!! In the top of the fourth inning with bases loaded and
two outs, Martin gives up a shot to deep left center and Zaleski, once again,
makes one of her patented daredevil diving catches to save the inning. Zaleski
saves Thunder from 3 Hurricane runs. This highlight reel catch would have made
it on all sports channels tonight. Texas Thunder is getting used to "Z" making
these spectacular catches.
Thunder added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as Nesloney reached
first on a walk and then advanced to second with her first stolen bag of the
day. Third baseman Clare Burnum then flared a double to left field to plate
Nesloney and give Thunder a 2-0 lead.
Marten retired the next three batters in the top of the seventh to take the win
while Hurricane starter Taryne Mowatt took the loss.
Make plans to be in attendance next Friday, August 5th, at 7:00 p.m. when
Houston native and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Christa Williams, takes the
mound for Thunder against the California Sunbirds for an important regular
season series match-up. Saturday will be a double header day with games at 1pm
and 7pm. Sunday's game is slated for a 1pm start.
BOX SCORE......................................R H E
So Cal Schutt Hurricanes...000 000 0 – 0 5 0
Texas Thunder..................001 001 X – 2 3 0
(WP) Piper Marten
(LP) Taryne Mowatt
ELDREDGE DRIVES HOME THREE RUNS IN JUGGERNAUT WIN
New York Steals Game Four from Chicago
Hempstead, NY – July 31, 2005 –Kaleo Eldredge went 2-for-4 at the plate for the concluding home game of the 2005 season, as the Juggernaut took game four of the Chicago series with a score of 4-3. Eldredge knocked in three runs for the New York offense, including the game-tying, bases clearing triple, and the game-winning RBI single for the Nauts. Jackie Pasquerella went 3-for-3 today at the plate and Carrie Leto went 2-for-4, both providing a run in the win. Jodie Cox pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief of starter Auburn Sigurdson, to get her 12th win of the season.
Chicago started the scoring in the third inning. Laura Harms led off with an infield single and Gina Oaks hit an RBI double down the left field line, barely by the diving left fielder, Alicia Smith, to score Harms two batters later. Liz Bouck was successful in a sacrifice bunt, moving Oaks to third base for Christina Enea. Enea was able to produce at the plate, driving in another run with a bloop single just out of the reach of a diving Chelsea Spencer at shortstop. Mackenzie Vandergeest added another run to the Bandits lead, as she hit a double into the right centerfield gap. Sigurdson got Selena Collins to ground out to Carri Leto at second base to end the inning and the Bandit scoring.
New York battled back in the bottom of the same inning to score three runs of their own. With one out, Jackie Pasquerella and Carri Leto hit back-to-back infield singles. A walk to Chelsea Spencer loaded the bases for Eldredge. Eldredge showed her USA Elite Team abilities at the plate, as she smacked a double into the left centerfield gap. Three runs would score on the hit, as Pasquerella and Leto scored easily, and Spencer collided at the plate with Bandit catcher Collins, who eventually dropped the ball at the plate, giving New York the third and tying run of the inning. Lauren Bay, Chicago starter, retired the next two batters of the inning as the Juggernaut stranded Eldredge at third in the bottom of the inning.
Eldredge became the hero in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kim Ogee led off the inning with a single up the middle which was followed by another infield single by Pasquerella. Chicago reliever, Lindsay Couinard, retired Leto who lined out to centerfield and struck out pinch-hitter Ryan Realmuto to record the first two outs of the inning. Kaleo Eldredge stepped up to the plate with two outs, two runners on base, and a tie score in the bottom of the seventh inning. Eldredge was up to the task, as she smacked the game winning single up the middle, allowing Ogee to score from second base.
Eldredge provided the Juggernaut with a clutch performance at the plate today as New York took the last game of the series and the last home game of the season from the first place Chicago Bandits. New York heads to Stratford, Connecticut tomorrow to take on the Brakettes at 7:00 p.m. The Juggernaut conclude the final 13 games of the season on the road. On August 4th, the Nauts take on the Bandits in Chicago for another thrilling series. Then they head to Akron beginning on the 11th and back up to Lowell, Massachusetts to take on the New England Riptide in a four game series on August 17th. The Chicago Bandits will host the 2005 NPF All-Star Game and Playoffs on Saturday, August 27th and Sunday, August 28th. ESPN2 will televise the NPF All-Star Game tape delayed on August 28th at 5:00 pm eastern time and the Championship Game at 7:00 pm EST on the same day. For more information about the New York Juggernaut, visit us online at www.nynjjuggernaut.com.
FINAL SCORE
Score by Innings R H E
Chicago Bandits…….…..003 000 0 – 3 6 1
New York Juggernaut…. 003 000 1 – 4 8 3
WP-Jodie Cox
LP-Lindsay Chouinard