Game recap.

NPF website story. 

I'm pretty sure that Margo Prius was not in DC last weekend, but she pitched for the Force tonight in Philly. Getting the start for the Glory was Desiree Serrano. (I had league games tonight, so this recap is from the NPF play-by-play.)

Neither team scored until we got on the board in the 3rd. Nicole Barber got on board for the second of 3 straight times, this one due to HBP, but she didn't stay on base very long. Actually, it seems she didn't stay on base long enough, and was called out for leaving early on a pitch. After an Oli strikeout, we had a mini 2-out rally. Amber Jackson walked in front of my Uva girl Sara Larquier, who promptly tied Oli for the league lead in HRs with her 12 of the year. At that point in the game exactly half of her hits were home runs, but she went and ruined that in the 7th with a leadoff single. Oh well, we had a 2 run lead after 2 and a half. (No word on whether Sara was successful in her second attempt to pop the big red chair in LF.)

Desi threw her third hitless inning, and we started right where we left off. Courtney Bures lead off the inning. She had a single last night, and she had another in the second inning tonight. Was she starting to hit again because she's crowding the plate a little more, lately? Perhaps, because she was hit by a pitch here in the 4th. The next batter was Callie Piper. I've heard no reports on the result of her examination on Tuesday, but she was back in the lineup tonight, so I guess it wasn't broken as had been feared. She bunted Bures to second. (Piper is now tied for second on the team in sacrifice hits, tied with Barber and just 2 behind LaDonia Hughes.) Jessica Moore followed with yet another walk, and Hughes's single loaded the bases.

Time for a pitching change, as Monday night's starter Megan Gibson replaced Prius. Barber welcomed her to the game with a 2-run single up the middle. Oli walked to re-load the bases. Which meant it was time for another 2-run single, this time from Amber Jackson, also up the middle (where there was apparently a hole now that Prius was gone). Cambria Miranda was now at third after running for Oli, and she scored thanks to a passed ball, for the 5th and final run of the inning (and the game).

Apparently deciding the game was over, both teams made changes in the 5th. The Force brought Stacey Birk in to pitch. Unfortunately, the first batter to face her was Callie Piper. After being hit by a foul tip last weekend, she was hit by a pitch from Birk. Balko went in to run, and would later stay in the game to catch. (I don't know if this was due to the pitch hitting her or not. ) We then swapped Jessicas, as Dignon hit for Moore. She lined into a double play, SS to 1B. The way this reads it could mean that Balko was doubled off first on a line drive. If this was, in fact, a base-running mistake from Balko, expect to see pinch-runners for her the rest of the season. (Nope, never mind. Balko walked in the 7th and was not pinch-run for, though it likely would have been Taryne Mowatt at that point anyway.)

Dignon stayed in the game to play LF, but struck out looking in her only other at-bat. Leah English was back in as the DH, but she was hitless in her two at-bats as well. LaDonia Hughes was back in the lineup, which meant Catalina Morris was the odd-outfielder out, and on the bench. Actually, she kinda split the DH position with English, but she too was hitless in two at-bats. (Actually, the 7th inning play looks like a bunt, but I guess there's no sacrificing with a 7-run lead.)

The 5th inning was also the only inning with a hit from the Force, to break up Desi's no-hitter. For the second straight night, the first Force hit game from the player who had struggled the most during the previous 5 games: Savannah Long with a single to right. No other Force player managed a hit all night.

The 6th inning saw another Glory HBP, as Oli was plunked. She stayed in to run, but sat out the rest of the game, as Larquier moved to first. This put Dignon back on the dirt at third base, and Morris went out to LF. Hopefully this wasn't due to an injury. Like Piper, I guess we'll have to wait and see who plays on Saturday.

The 7th inning was notable for the 2 errors from the Glory, one from Barber and one from newly relocated Dignon. But a two-out called 3rd strike ended the game, preserving the shutout for Desi.

Obviously, Desi pitched a great game. Just like last year, she seems to be getting better as the season goes on. Her 7th complete game on the season was her 2nd shutout, tying Pauly for the team lead. (Fergie has 1, and Pauly and Mowatt combined on another.) She gave up just the 1 hit and 3 walks, while striking out 3. She improves to 10-5 on the season. Margo Prius took the loss, falling to 3-4.

The win puts us two games up, ensuring that we return to DC in first place.