Bandits Defeat Diamonds 5-1, Secure Spot in Championship Final

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BANDITS DEFEAT DIAMONDS 5-1, SECURE SPOT IN CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Following last night’s victory over the Carolina Diamonds in their best-of-three Championship Series, the Bandits hit the field with momentum on their side as they looked to clinch a spot in Saturday’s Championship Game Final. Nikki Nemitz (1-0) got the call for the Bandits, facing off against the Diamond’s Angel Bunner (0-1).

Home runs were the name of the game for the Bandits in the early innings as a threerun shot by Kristen Butler in the first gave the Bandits an early lead following back to back singles by Megan Wiggins and Alisa Goler. Wiggins showed why she was was the league’s Home Run Champion

with a solo homer in the second to extend the Bandits lead by five runs.  

However, the Diamonds threatened in the fourth, loading the bases for Jami Lobpries who hit into a fielder’s choice as Folden crossed home to cut the Bandits lead to four.

That was all the offense the Diamonds would muster, bringing in the pitching duo of Katie Burkhart and Danielle Spaulding to finish out the game.

Making a pitching change of their own, the Bandits sent Monica Abbott to the circle in the fifth, getting Rachel Folden to ground out to end the inning. Abbott cruised through the rest of the game to secure the 5-1 victory for the Bandits securing their spot in the Championship Final.

The Bandits will await their opponent for Saturday night’s game following the winner of the match between the No. 1 seed USSSA Pride and No. 4 seed Akron Racers which will be played at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday.

The Bandits will play the winner of that game at 7 p.m. Saturday night.

To purchase tickets for tomorrow night’s match-up, contact the box office at 877-722-6348 or visit championship.profastpitch.com.

For more information about the Bandits, visit www.chicagobandits.com.

About the Chicago Bandits 
Since 2005, the Chicago Bandits have been members of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. Located in the Chicagoland area, 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 and Monica Abbott. The two-time NPF Champions play at The Ballpark at Rosemont, the only stadium in the country built for a women's professional team.

About National Pro Fastpitch: National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, TN. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names of Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL). NPF is the Official Development Partner of Major League Baseball in the category of women’s fastpitch softball since 2002.

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BOXSCORE LINK: http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=110338

RECORDS: Bandits (2-0), Diamonds (0-2)

NEXT BANDITS GAME: Saturday, August 25 @ 7:00 p.m. vs. winner of Akron Racers/USSSA Pride

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