AKRON, Ohio – The Chicago Bandits completed the two-game sweep of the Akron Racers on Tuesday night with a 5-1 win at Firestone Stadium. Sara Moulton (W, 1-0) and Michelle Gascoigne (S 1) combined to allow just one hit in the contest.
Moulton picked up her first win of the season after two no decisions to start the season. She allowed one run on one hit and recorded three strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched.
Brittany Cervantes (2-for-3, HR, RBI), led off the top of the first inning for the Bandits with a home run to left field on a 2- 2 count.
The Racers (5-4) responded with a run of their own in the third to tie the game when Ashley Thomas (1-for-2, 1 run, 1 RBI) sent a 3-and-1 pitch over the left field fence.
Taylor Edwards (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) put the Bandits back on top for good in the sixth inning with a two-run home run scoring herself and Jill Barrett. The homerun was Edwards’ third of the road trip and second in as many nights.
The Bandits (7-4) offense tacked on two more insurance runs in the seventh with two bases loaded walks off of Akron starter Jailyn Ford and reliever Sarah Pauly. The insurance, however, wasn’t needed as Gascoigne threw the final 1.1 innings to record the save for Chicago.
The Bandits, who finished the five-game road trip 3-2, return to The Ballpark at Rosemont for a three-game series against Akron beginning Friday night. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m.
Friday night will be Fellowship Night and church groups in attendance will receive early entry for a pregame talk with Lacey Waldrop and Michelle Gascoigne. The players will share their personal testimony and what it means to be a Christian athlete. The first 300 fans through the gates will receive a cinch pack courtesy of Rawlings Softball.
Tickets for Friday’s game and all remaining home games during the 2016 season are on sale now. Visit www.chicagobandits.com or call the box office at 877-722-6348 to order.
About the Chicago Bandits
Since 2005, the Chicago Bandits have been members of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. Located in Rosemont, the Bandits provide an opportunity for female fastpitch players to further their careers at a professional level, and the roster has included such names as Jennie Finch, Stacy May-Johnson, Emily Allard and Tammy Williams. The three-time NPF Champions, who are owned by Bill Sokolis, play at The Ballpark at Rosemont, the only stadium in the country built for a women’s professional team. The 2016 season will be the Bandits 12th season in the NPF.
About National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), an Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball since 2002, provides elite female athletes with an opportunity to pursue a professional career in diamond sports beyond their collegiate success. The 2016 NPF season will be televised on CBS Sports Network. Coverage includes the NPF College Draft presented by Bownet on Thur., April 14, followed by 23 regular-season games, a Championship Series Preview Special and the 2016 NPF Championship Series. The NPF recently announced that the Scrap Yard Dawgs, located in The Woodlands, Texas, will join the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Dallas Charge, Pennsylvania Rebellion and USSSA Pride for the 2016 season. National Pro Fastpitch players hail from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand, representing the most accomplished and talented athletes in the sport of women’s softball.
