USSSA Pride (Photo by Dina Kwit)

ROSEMONT, Illinois—August 24, 2013—After a long, hard battle of a best-of-three series, the USSSA Pride captured the 2013 National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series Title over the regular season champions, Chicago Bandits.

The Pride bounced back today after a tough loss Friday to the Chicago Bandits in the final inning of game one. In response to the loss, and with their backs to the wall, the Pride answered Saturday winning back-to-back games to claim the 2013 NPF Title. 

USSSA tied the series in game one on the day, with a 5-0 win over Chicago. A homerun from Pride's Andrea Duran entering the bottom of the sixth inning gave the Pride a 2-0 lead over the Bandits. Despite the Bandits efforts, the Pride’s offense scored 3 more runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Bandits offense was unable to respond to the Pride's ace starter, Cat Osterman, as they fell to the Pride 5-0.

With the Final Series tied at one apiece, the Series pushed to the maximum number of games to settle the championship. The Pride took the lead early in the game when Andrea Duran hit a double to centerfield over Megan Wiggins, allowing Kristyn Sandberg to score. Chicago’s ace Monica Abbott shut it down from there, striking out the next two hitters in Megan Willis and Ashley Charters to end the inning.

No more runs hit the scoreboard until the fourth inning when Sandberg blasted a line drive homerun over the fence in left field. The Bandits offense responded in the bottom of the fourth with Eri Yamada getting on base off a double to leftfield. Alisa Goler followed with an RBI single scoring Yamada. 

In the bottom of the fifth, with 2 outs and bases loaded for Pride starter Keilani Ricketts, skipper J.T. D'Amico relieved with his ace, Cat Osterman. Osterman immediately ended the threat by striking out Alisa Goler to end the inning. 

The Bandits went up to bat in the bottom of the seventh down 2-1. Initially retiring Galindo and pinch hitter Nerissa Myers set up a final showdown between the  Pitcher of the Year, Osterman, and Player of the Year, Megan Wiggins. Osterman would win the final battle striking out Wiggins for the victory and the championship title. 

This is the second Championship Series title for the Pride (2010) and Osterman was named the Series Most Valuable Player for the second time in her career.

Game 1 Boxscore: http://npf.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=166495

Game 2 Boxscore:http://npf.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=166497