WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Fastpitch Johnny. August 6, 2004: In a game they had to have to stay in the race for the NPF pennant, the New York New Jersey Juggernaut (31-18) shut out the Akron Racers 3-0 Friday afternoon to pick up a full game on the Racers, leaving them 1 game behind Akron and 3-1/2 behind Texas going into Sunday night’s showdown with the first place Texas Thunder. Amanda Scott pitched a 3-hit shutout for her 12th win against 6 losses and Carri “Lightning” Leto came through with two singles with 2 outs to drive in all the runs Amazing Amanda needed.
Texas behind Christa Williams shut out Arizona Friday night in Houston, 1-0, setting up a must-sweep situation for the Juggernaut when the Thunder come into Montclair Sunday night.
TWO OUT LIGHTNING: Lightning Leto swats a single off Kasey Whitehead over Racer Shortstop Kristin Johnson with 2 out on the second pitch to score Germaine Fairchild lighting off from third base to give Amanda Scott a 1-0 lead in the second frame. “G” Fairchild worked a 3-2 walk and was doubled to third by a rip down the left field alley by Courtney Scott (the Naut on second base just behind the pitcher. Photo by WPCNR Sports.
Amanda Scott resumed her dominance over NPF teams with a solid outing, defusing the pesky hard-hitting Racers, retiring the first nine batters she faced. Mixing pitches that crackled and just missed the corners with pitches that appeared to just miss, bringing groans, grimaces and looks of incredulity from the Nauts’ “4th Umpire,” Jaclyn Pasquerrella playing third base. (Pasquerella shouts a loud “Yeah” everytime Scott fires one that Jackie thinks is a strike, helping the plate umpire out.)
Scott masterfully put away the Racers until the fifth and sixth innings, when the Racers threatened to tie the game.
Rally on Two
In the second inning, the Juggernaut rallied on two, when Germaine Fairchild, the Nauts best clutch hitter, worked a 3-2 walk from Kacey Whitehead, the Racer knuckler and control specialist. Next up, Amanda’s batterymate and sister, Courtney Scott blasted a pitch on a line 25 feet inside the left field line that got down, screaming to the yellow Reno Appliance sign in straightway left for a double.
That set the stage for Carri Leto, Naut second sacker. Carri swung and missed the first pitch then caught the next pitch fat lining a pretty flare over the shortstop’s head perfectly placed to send in “G” (Fairchild) with the go-ahead run, Courtney (Scott) moving to third.
Leto told WPCNR after the game , “The first pitcher (Whitehead) was a junk ball pitcher, she was throwing a lot of offspeed, a knuckleball. She fooled me on the first pitch. So I was thinking on the second strike, hit opposite field, then I’ll actually be on time. That was going through my head.”
On the second big hit later in the game against McHugh, Leto said she was just trying to get on base. Leto who went 3 for 3, said of the season so far, “We’ve played all season just to get into the playoffs, so now that we’re here these are big games, they’re like playoff games before the playoffs.”
Leto said “It’s an intense season. A very rigorous season, you play every single day, but it’s fun. We have a good time playing together.”
Delayed Steal Jams Racers’ Gears.
With Leto on first and Courtney Scott on third and leadoffer Lauren Bauer up, the Nauts tried the delayed double steal. Racer Catcher Jenn Poore fired to second to get Leto but shortstop Kristin Johnson failed to cover and Poore’s throw sailed sublimely into centerfield, allowing Courtney Scott to score from third to make it 2-0.
That’s the way she stayed until the fourth inning. With Radara McHugh in the circle, having relieved Whitehead in the third, Johnson made an error on a grounder by Kellie Wilkerson. Venus Taylor popped up but that woman again, “G” Fairchild singled through the shortstop hole to put runners on first and second. McHugh fanned Courtney Scott and faced Carri Leto again with two out.
LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE WITH 2 AWAY: Carri Leto turns on and lashes a McHugh offering into the first and second base hole sending Kellie Wilkerson lighting out for third, and Germaine Fairchild to second. The yellow ball is seen just to the right of Fairchild, scooting through just past lunging firstsacker Nicole Trimboli while second baseman Brandi Stuart is about to knock it down. Stuart fired across the diamond to Trimboli who attempting to get Fairchild at second threw it away into left, allowing Wilkerson to score to make it 3-0. Heather Wright, retrieving the errant throw in left, threw out Fairchild at the plate on a rough tag by Jen Poore. Photo by WPCNR Sports
In the fifth inning, Nicole Trimboli broke up Amanda’s No-Hitter with a solid stroke up the middle. Nicki Myers then blasted a high towering drive to the scoreboard in deep left. Venus Taylor leaped but missed it the ball hitting high on the Majestic sign, just missing a two-run homer. Because Trimboli thought the ball was going to be caught, she was only at second, and Myers had to stay at first with a very authoritative single. Myers’ was the hardest hit ball of the day and the only Racer to pull Scott all afternoon. With one away, Scott carefully worked out of the jam, inducing a grounder to Leto from Trina Peal, and getting Becky McMurtry to line softly to Leto at second.
TOP GUN VS. TOP STICK: The battery of Scott and Scott duel Iyhia McMichael. Here Scott walks Iyhia McMichael in the sixth with two out and a Racer on first. Scott fanned Iyhia once, induced a grounder to first, and walked her here, narrowly missing a called third strike. Jaclyn Pasquerrella at third can’t believe it, holding out her hands in supplication. Photo by WPCNR Sports.
In the sixth, Akron again threatened.
With two outs, Kristin Johnson singled, and the league’s leading hitter, Iyhia McMichael strode to the plate. Amanda worked her to 3-2, ending up walking her. Jen Poore, the next hitter hit a humpback liner right at Kellie Wilkerson in right, who coming on hard and fast, caught the shot at her knees ending the bid.
Scott finished strongly in the seventh nailing the shutout by retiring Trimboli and the game ended on an inning ending short-first double play turned by Lyndsey Klein at short. Scott in going the distance, fanned 7, walked 2 and moves her record to 12-6.
Thunder in for Final Three Home Games of Year.
The Juggernaut await Friday night action when the first place Thunder play Arizona out in Tucson to see whether they will face the Thunder Sunday night 3-1/2 games out or 2-1/2 games out. They need to sweep the Thunder to have a chance to win the first NPF Pennant and get top seeding for the playoffs.
FASTPITCH IN THE AFTERNOON: The Nauts on their sunporch, work on their tans, watching the action. A rare day game on the NPF schedule drew 297 fans to the little park on campus. Photo by WPCNR Sports.
The YES Network will televise Sunday evening’s Texas Thunder-Naut game at 7:35 P.M. There are still seats available. The Thunder are in Montclair State University Softball Stadium Monday and Tuesday nights, the final chance to see the Nauts in regular season action this season.
PLAYER TO PLAYER: A happy recap, as the Juggernauts sign autographs and greet their fans, answer questions, an NPF tradition. Photo by WPCNR Sports
THE NATIONAL PRO FASTPITCH STANDINGS August 7, 2004
STANDINGS
Friday Results
NY-NJ Juggernaut 3, Akron 0
Texas 1, Arizona 0
California 2, New England 0 (Late Game)
