The Pennsylvania Rebellion and the Akron Racers met tonight for the first of two games from Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland. A string of thunder showers was enough to delay the start of the game by two hours, but it certainly did not dampen the spirits of the faithful crowd that stuck around to catch the action. It was a back-and-forth game, but ultimately the Racers prevailed with a 5-4 victory.
The Rebellion were the first to crack the scoresheet when, in the bottom of the 2nd, Center Fielder Lindsey Stephens singled home a run to give PA the early lead. A few batters later, Third Baseman Cheyenne Cordes kept the two-out lightning going with an RBI single of her own, and it was 2-0 Rebellion after two.
The Racers wasted no time in responding. In the top of the 3rd, Center Fielder Taylor Schlopy homered to put Akron on the board. After an error by Rebellion Right Fielder Lexie Elkins allowed the inning to continue, Akron Rookie DP Alex Hugo worked a walk out of a 12 pitch at-bat. The very next batter, Left Fielder Cassie Tysarczyk, made the Rebellion pay the price. A three-run homer gave Akron a 4-2 lead.
The Rebellion fought back with single runs in the 4th and 5th innings. In the fourth, it was another RBI by Cheyenne Cordes to score a run. In the fifth, it Mandy Ogle with an RBI double of her own, one of her three hits on the night, and it was all knotted up at 4-4.
The score would remain that way until the top of the 7th. Akron Rookie Short Stop Sami Fagan pelted a pitch from Maryland native Emily Weiman over the right centerfield fence, it was her sixth homer of the season and turned out to be the difference maker. For the game-winning HR and RBI, Sami Fagan is the Powerhandz Player of the Game.
The Pennsylvania Rebellion (11-2o) and the Akron Racers (16-11) meet again on Thursday night for the second game of the two game series from Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, home of the Delmarva Shore Birds. As always you can catch all the action on NPFTV at profastpitch.com.
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 Florida 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.
