Game recap.

NPF website story. 

The Glory also won the in-game HR Derby, 3-2. Oh, and it was obvious that this was the first game without Steve the stats. You'll see why.

It was raining at Westfield when I got there shortly before 5. The forecast was for this shower to be moving out very shortly, so I was surprised when the game actually started a few minutes early, while the rain was still coming down.

With a pitching matchup of Desiree Serrano vs Kristina Thorson, a low-scoring game might be expected. But that was not the case, at least early in the game.

Desi did start out with a 1-2-3 inning, including 2 caught-looking Ks. But the Glory would have none of this pitching duel stuff like the night before.

Nicole Barber got things going for us, just as she did last night. But instead of getting a hit, she got hit. The ball got her solidly in the back, and the grimace on her face showed how much it must have hurt. But she was able to stay in the game, and head down to first. LaDonia Hughes bunted, and Chicago let it roll foul, or so they hoped. It did roll back into the batter's box, but it was a fair ball and a single. Courtney Bures went down looking at a 3-2 pitch, but Oli continued her hot hitting, sending the 3-2 offering down the left field line. Although it was a 1-hop into the glove of left-fielder Laura Harms, her throw to third and the relay home were too late to get a sliding Barber. Catalina Morris and Callie Piper both went down swinging to end the inning, but we were up 1-0.

But not for long. Bandit catcher Rachel Folden swung and missed at the first offering, but that was all she needed to get her timing down. The next pitch was sent on a rope over the fence in left center, to tie the game. Jaime Clark took a little longer to adjust, but she sent the 1-2 pitch out of there, another no-doubter, this time to right-center. After looking great in the first inning, the Bandits were teeing off on Desi. But she settled down and got Nicole Trimboli to watch strike three go by. She induced a grounder from Kristie Fox, but it just eluded the reach of Sara Larquier, between third and SS. Lindsay Schutzler grounded out to Bures at second, with Fox getting to 2nd, but number 9 batter Harms went down swinging to end the inning.

We were now down a run, which was unacceptable. After Amber Jackson grounded out to 2nd, Larquier sent a 2-0 pitch way over LC. Her 5th on the season was her first since June 12th. Designated played Callista Balko went down swinging, and Barber grounded out to second to end the inning. Tied at 2 after 2.

Desi walked leadoff batter Stacy May to start the third, but that was for Piper's benefit. After Aileen Morales went down looking for the second time,  Samantha Findlay stepped in.  The runner took off on the 0-1 pitch, which was swung at and missed for strike 2, and Piper's throw to Jackson at second was right on the bag, for out number 2. One pitch later, another swing and miss was out number 3.

Although the game was tied, the Bandits decided to change pitchers for the bottom of the third. Thorson had given up 2 runs on three hits, but she was benched in favor of Amanda Freed, who had pitched just under 5 innings before tonight. I have to say, she was fun to watch, as she really seemed to enjoy being out there, smiling a lot. Many pitchers are so serious all the time, rarely smiling. She started off getting Hughes to pop out to SS. On her 1-1 pitch to Bures, she said "oh" as she released it, which is usually a good indication to not swing. Let's just say it was slightly high. Bures chopped the next pitch back up the middle, but it bounced high enough to get over Freed, and into center for a single.

The 0-1 pitch to Oli was in the dirt, and although Folden was able to block it with her body, it bounced just far enough away for Bures to take second (wild pitch). Oli again worked the count to 3-2, then walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd for Morris. She blasted a no doubter toward the flag pole just right of center, giving us a 5-2 lead. A grounded from Piper and a popup from Jackson ended the inning.

The top of 4th started with Folden, who had blasted a HR in the second inning. After she fouled off the 1-0 pitch toward her own coach at third, Coach Carrie held a conference in the circle. The result of that, intended or otherwise, was 3 straight balls under the strike zone to put Folden at first. Clark, who hit the other homer in the second, then popped up the very next pitch, caught by Larquier. Trimboli bunted, but right into great defense, as Larquier grabbed it and fired to Jackson at 2nd to get the lead runner. Often unnoticed on these plays, until it matters, was Desi sprinting over to cover third if needed. Fox then went down swinging (foul-tip) to end the 4th. Still 5-2.

Two quick outs to start the bottom of the 4th, as Larquier popped up and Balko grounded out. Jessica Moore then pinch hit for Barber, and would remain in the game to play RF. I don't know if this was related to Barber's being hit by the pitch in the first. Apparently Freed was very concerned with Moore. After a first pitch change-up that Moore was way out in front of as she fouled it off, Freed could not come to an agreement with her catcher about what to throw. Eventually Folden had to go talk to Freed, who then threw balls 1 and 2. More delays and shaking off the catcher, and finally a bounce pitch for ball 3. Finally a curve ball got her a full count. The next offering was hit up the middle but Freed could only deflect it, giving Moore a hard-earned single. Hughes slap back up the middle was handled cleanly by Freed to end the inning. Still up 5-2 after 4.

The top of the 5th started off well, with Schutzler and Harms both going down looking. A single by May prolonged the inning. Due up was Morales, who had gone down looking twice, so she was replaced with Mindy Cowles (who stayed in the game to play 2B).  She hit a high yet very slow chopper to the third-base side of the circle, and both Jackson and Larquier charged hard. Sara got to the ball first, but had to extend her reach to do so, and could not keep it in her glove. However, Cowles is fast (3 SBs on the season), and I don't think Sara would have been able to throw her out at first anyway (and I know Jackson couldn't have, had the ball gotten that far). Also, had she done so, it would have been considered a great play, and not an ordinary play. Errors are not supposed to be given on such plays, and I don't think Steve would have given Sara an error here. The next batter, Findlay, went down swinging for the third time to end the inning.

I wasn't the only one unhappy with the scoring decision. It started to rain again.

Apparently the Bandit pitchers were on inning-count limits tonight, as Freed was done after her two innings. In came Tracie Adix, who had pitched only 8 innings thus far. The first batter to face her was Bures, who gave her a rude welcome by taking a 3-2 offering and sending it packing, another no-doubter slightly center of left (if you know what I mean), her league-leading 7th of her rookie season. This was the 5th HR of the game, possibly more than will be hit in Saturday's Battle of the Bats. That was it for the scoring for us. We were up 6-2 after 5.

The top of the 6th, and the rain stopped, as the point had been made. Jessica Dignon came in for Oli, but went to 3B as Sara moved to 1B. The infield chatter was now entering my right ear instead of my left, which took some getting used to. Folden started the inning off with a walk, after a very questionable call for ball 3. Clark struck out swinging. Trimboli lined a one hopper to Hughes in center, and Fox drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Schutzler went down looking, and hung her head in disgust at the call before walking back to the dugout. Harms hit a fairly routine grounder to SS, but an error on the umpire prolonged the inning. She was out, but blue missed it badly. It wasn't even that close. Even though there was an error on the play, the run that scored still counts as earned. May then grounded to Bures, who runs to the second base bag several feet ahead of the runner, a play so easy to call that the very same ump got it right this time. Up 6-3 after 5 and a half.

Amber started off the 6th with a walk, only to be forced at second on Larquier's comebacker. Cambria Miranda pinch-hit for Balko, and hit a great line drive that might have cleared the fence, but was grabbed on a leaping catch by Schutzler in center field, very near the wall. Moore worked the count to 3-2 before going down swinging to end the inning.

We had a 3 run lead to start the seventh. Would that be enough, or were we in for another night of last-inning drama? Another questionable call by the home plate ump gave Cowles a walk to start the inning. Findlay came to the plate for the 4th time, and for the 4th time went down swinging. This lady is one of the Bandits' best hitters, and Desi did a great job with her all night long.  Catcher Rachel Folder is another of their top batters (both rookies, by the way), and she demonstrated why by getting on base for the 4th time, with a bloop single along the left field line, fair by just a few feet. Tie run at the plate in the person of Jaime Clark. After her second-inning homer, Desi found ways to get her out, and did so again, as Clark went down swinging for the second time. Trimboli, who singled in the 6th, ended the game with a routine fly to center. We win 6-3.

The bats came back for the Glory tonight, with 3 HRs among the 7 hits. Two of the HRs were solo (just like both of the Bandits'), but Morris's HR was a huge 3-run shot to break the game open (or at least give us a comfortable lead).

Desi ended up pitching a great game, with a whopping 14 strikeouts. The umps were a large part of the reason for her 5 walks. She allowed 7 hits and 3 earned runs, completing her 4th game for her 5th win, against 3 losses. Freed took the loss for the Bandits, her first decision of the season.

End Notes: We were wearing our white shirts with our white pants, for the first time that I've seen. Just as I thought, it's a really sharp look.

Nichole Thompson seems to be recovering well, as she was braceless tonight. (Possibly before tonight and I just didn't notice. I think she had on long pants last night, so I couldn't tell.)

Desi tied the Glory record held by Monica Abbott by throwing 100 strikes. Her 14Ks were a career high.

After Larquier's HR, the players gathered at the plate to greet her, as they do for all HRs. But on the way back to the dugout, they suprised us in the VIP section by throwing things at us from the field. (Whistles, this time.)

Before every home at-bat, the players not in the game will often keep warm by running along the right field line. Tonight, there were relay races instead, using a flag on a stick as the baton. We won, since we were unopposed.

You heard it here first. Bures will be NPF Rookie of the Year. However, if she overtakes Kellie Wilkerson for Player of the Year, she will not be Rookie of the Year, thanks to the stupid NPF rule about winning just one award. (This is why Jackson was Player of the Year but not Rookie of the Year.)