Glory's MySpace blog entry.

Game recap.

Tonight's game was long, both because of many runs scored, and some long at-bats by many players (including many foul balls, but most of them remained in the field of play, so not so many souvenirs for us). There wasn't the drama of many games, but it was still a lot of fun. I also had a conversation with Katy (the owner's wife) after the game, which I will discuss in the End Notes, so be sure to read them tonight.

Tonight's matchup was Sarah Pauly for the Glory vs Margo Pruis for the Force. Pruis had held us to 1 run over 6 innings on Thursday night (before our seventh-inning heroics added 2 more), so I was worried that we would struggle to complete the sweep which I predicted after the first game of the series. But that turned out to be a needless worry.

A little different look to the lineup tonight. LaDonia Hughes is on a recruiting trip for the school where she works (in the off-season), so Jessica Moore got the start in left. Nichole Thompson was not really dressed to play (shorts), so at second tonight was Stephanie Best, and Germaine Fairchild got a rare start as the designated player. I was a little worried about Best at second, thinking perhaps that Brooke Marnitz should be out there, but that turned out to be another needless worry.

Just as the Force had done two nights ago, leadoff batter Emily Friedman got a hit to start the game. (Tonight's was just a single though.) But the next three batters were retired to prevent a recurrence of a first-inning run from the Force.

We tried to score in the first tonight. With one out, Nicole Barber beat out a bunt. (The throw went into right field, but it was ruled a hit since she appeared to have beaten the throw, and she did not advance on the overthrow.) Amber Jackson followed with a double to right-center, but Barber was held at third. The runners were stranded when both Oli and Sara Larquier went down looking.

Pauly struck out the side 1-2-3 in the top of the 2nd. We got on the board in the home half. With one out, Fairchild walked, followed by Callie Piper being called out looking at strike 3. Jessica Moore remembered that the number nine spot in the lineup is supposed to be a power position (remember Sara Larquier in that spot?), so she crushed the ball over the left field fence for a 2-run homer. It was her second in two nights, and 5th on the year. We were up 2-0 after 2.

The top of the third was another 1-2-3 inning, but it showed that Best would do just fine at second base. With one out, the number nine batter Stacie Pestrak was up, and she often bunts. She did so again, this time a popup that went over a charging Oli in the air. Best was headed over to cover first on the play, so she came in after the ball. It bounced before she was able to reach it, but she scooped it up and headed toward first. She wasn't going to beat the runner to the bag, so she dove towards the runner, tagging her just before she reached the base. It doesn't sound as good as it looked, but it was a great defensive play.

To start the bottom of the third, Nicole Barber hit a triple to right which 1-hopped the fence. Amber Jackson, still being pitched to carefully, walked, then stole second (the throw was cut off, but Barber was not fooled at third). Oli then used a very nice looking golf swing to reach a low-and-inside pitch and hit it over the fence in left for a three-run homer. Her 9th homer of the year tied her (temporarily) with Sara Larquier and Amber Jackson for the league lead. Obviously, we weren't having the same difficulty hitting against Pruis as we did on Thursday, so the Force brought in a new pitcher, lefty Jodie Cox, for the second straight game. She got 3 outs from the next four batters (Fairchild walked again), but we were up 5-0 after 3.

Top of 4. Yet another 1-2-3 from Pauly. Ho hum.

In our half, Moore started off with a line-drive single to left. She stole second during Catalina Morris's at-bat (though the catcher did not cleanly field the pitch, and made no throw). Morris then grounded out to short, Moore holding at second. She remained there as Nicole Barber hit a comebacker to Cox, and in stepped Amber. She decided that a three-way tie was to be no more, so gone went the pitch over the fence in right-center for a 2-run home run. Jackson now has sole possesion of the league lead with 10.

Oli was the next batter, and her at-bat may prove important in the immediate future. She fouled a pitch off her foot so hard that she hit the ground, and remained there for a while before getting back up. She stayed in to draw a walk, but Brooke Marnitz came in to run for her. Sara Larquier also drew a walk. Best's ground ball up the middle loaded the bases. Fairchild plated Brooke from third with a ground ball in the 5/6 hole. Callie Piper followed with another ground ball, but this time third-baseman Clare Burnum got a piece of it, and was charged with an error. So although Sara scored on the play, Piper did not get an RBI. Moore's second at-bat of the inning was a groundout to the pitcher to leave the bases loaded. But we scored 4 to up the lead to 9-0 after 4.

Top of 5. 1-2-3. Defensive changes for the Glory were Jen Chamberlin in for Oli, playing third, with Sara moving from third to first.

The bottom of the fifth was also 1-2-3, but it included the 4th called strikeout (looking, not swinging). It also included another appearance by GMU grad Christa Dalakis, batting for Catalina Morris. Christa also struck out, but she went down swinging.

Top of 6. Defensive changes were Dalakis staying in the game and playing left, with Jessica Moore moving to center. It was three-up, three-down, but it wasn't 1-2-3. Rocky Spencer's infield hit to start the inning was just the second hit of the night for the Force. Pestrak bunted yet again, moving the runner to second with one out. Emily Friedman then grounded to Amber at short. After looking the runner back a little, she threw to first for the out. For some reason, Spencer decided to break for third as Amber threw. So Sara Larquier fired to Jen Chamberlin, and Spencer was dead meat. Everyone knew it as soon as she went. Her coach even had some words for her after the play. End of inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Jen Chamberlin was the first batter. She hit a long, opposite-field shot that cleared the fence in right, but just foul. She was well into her home run trot before being called back to the box, where she then walked. Sara then reached on an error. Best grounded to shortstop Chelsea Spencer, who threw to Emily Friedman at second to get the force on Sara for the first out. But her relay to first was high, and ended up in the dugout, allowing Chamberlin to score the last run of the night. Fairchild then became the 5th Glory to player to watch strike three go by, and Piper's groundout to short ended the inning.

The top of the seventh brought more defensive changes. Fairchild went in to catch, and "closer" Jen Musillo came in to pitch. The Force started going to their bench, with Megan McAllister pinch-hitting for Sharonda McDonald. McAllister hit a towering fly ball to left which completely turned Dalakis around, and it dropped in near the fence for a double. But Jen retired the next three batters, on a flyout to center and two called strikeouts, to complete the win. (The flyout to center was also a very nice catch by Jessica Moore, by the way.)

Another fantastic game from the Glory pitchers tonight. Sarah Pauly pitched 6 shutout innings, giving up 2 hits, striking out 5, walking none, and facing just one batter over the minimum. She improves to 11-4 on the year, and ups her league-leading strikeout total to 99. Jen Musillo pitched a shutout inning, giving up one hit and striking out two while walking none. The loss went to Pruis, and she falls to 3-4 on the year.

End Notes: The roster handouts at the game now list 2 jersey numbers for the Jens (Musillo and Chamberlin), as they have different numbers in the red shirts than they do in the blue shirts. Nichole Thompson was well enough to help with the "players throw things at the fans" portions of the evening, so I asked her if she was hurt. After a little hesitation (I probably startled her!), she replied "I'll be alright." So hopefully she'll be back in the lineup when we play Akron starting on Wednesday. I have no info on Oli, so hopefully her foul ball of the foot won't cause her to miss any Akron games either. After the teams shook hands, Sara Larquier once again turned to the crowd and said thank you. For some reason I just think that's really nice.

I spoke for quite a while with owner Paul Wilson's wife, Katy. The thing I found most interesting is that our team is the talk of the league. And it's not just because we're winning. It's also because of how we treat our players. Unlike other teams, we treat them like the professionals that they are. We have a team doctor and a team trainer. We had press conferences. We had photo shoots, even including makeup artists for the players. Other teams don't. Other teams ask their players to do the pre-game groundskeeping duties. I've written before about how amazing it is that we were able to get the players we have, but is sounds like we're creating the type of environment that will make them want to stick around, and make others want to come here as well.

I also commented to her that it looks like they (Katy, Paul, their kids) and their team are one big happy family. She agreed. Suprisingly, some owners don't even attend their games. They're idiots, and they don't know what they're missing, and they should be smacked upside their heads.

Katy also informed me that Nichole Thompson tweaked her back a little in last night's game, during a diving play (which I was not there to see and provide specifics on) and subsequent at-bat. This is why she was in shorts tonight. (Though the US National team played in shorts, so who's to say we can't?)

The team is off to Akron, and I'm going to miss 'em. The (internet) radio games from Rockford were really cool, but I don't think Akron has the same thing. I'll do my best, but my recaps won't be as detailed for those games.

The last homestand of the year is Aug 2-5, with both Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman back from the US National Team. The games are close to being sellouts, so get your tickets quick so you don't miss your last chance to see this great team play.