NPF

USSSA Pride Clinch Fourth Consecutive NPF Regular Season Title

USSSA Pride Clinch Fourth Consecutive NPF Regular Season Title

USSSA Pride Clinch Fourth Consecutive NPF Regular Season Title

Aug 7, 2017 by FloSoftball Staff
USSSA Pride Clinch Fourth Consecutive NPF Regular Season Title
Concluding the weekend series in outstanding fashion, the USSSA Pride (33-8) swept the Scrap Yard Dawgs (29-16) clinching Game 3 by a score of 3-0 in Viera, Florida. With the win, the Pride claimed their fourth straight Regular Season Championship Title. In seven years within the National Pro Fastpitch, the franchise collected a total of six titles and has now secured the number one seed headed into the Cowles Cup.

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In the circle, Jessica Burroughs (1-0) earned her first win in the National Pro Fastpitch with a six-inning shutout. The 2017 first-overall draft pick tamed the Dawgs bats, allowing only two hits. Prior to entering her first season within the NPF, Burroughs was named 2017 ACC Pitcher of the Year and earned a spot on the 2017 All-ACC First Team, while being selected within the NFCA First Team All-American selection. The former Seminole finished her senior year with an ERA of 1.22 and an overall record of 27-5, collecting 266 strikeouts over 195 innings pitched. After the night outing, the former Garnet & Gold pitcher counts seven strikeouts and six walks in 24.2 innings pitched, with an ERA of 3.00.

After blasting three home runs over the three game series, Chelsea Goodacre ended the night with a 3-for-3 performance and drove in one run for the Pride. With her nine home runs, the USSSA catcher moved to the second spot among NPF's leaderboard, right behind fellow teammate Shelby Pendley, who leads the League with a total of 12 home runs. The former Wildcat has now recorded 26 RBIs and 34 hits for a batting average of .298, and posts a slugging percentage of .544 this season.

Ending the night with a perfect score, Sierra Romero aided the USSSA offense to lock the sweep against Scrap Yard. Romero went 2-for-3 at the plate with one double, one single and one RBI. The second baseman sits in second on the NPF leaderboard for RBIs with 30, and takes the fourth spot for slugging percentage with a .587. In 103 at bats, the former Wolverine counts 32 hits, including seven home runs, six doubles, and one triple.

The Pride kick started the game in the bottom of the first, when Romero shot a double to left center to drive home Kelly Kretschman and put USSSA ahead 1-0. In the bottom of the second, Goodacre went yard once again, launching her third home run for the home series to increase the Pride's stretch 2-0. As both teams wrapped up the fourth, fifth, and sixth with quick frames, the Pride tacked one more run in the sixth when Lauren Chamberlain dropped a solo shot behind the left field fence to further increase the USSSA lead 3-0. In the seventh, Hannah Rogers closed the game for her first seasonal save to cap the title-winning game 3-0.

The 2017 Regular Season Champions will be back on the field tomorrow to welcome the Eagles in the last home series before heading to Baton Rouge. Teams will line up at 7:05 PM EST.

Click here for Box Score.

About National Pro Fastpitch:
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. 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.

About USSSA Florida Pride:
The USSSA Florida Pride is a professional franchise in the National Pro Fastpitch League that is owned and operated by USSSA. The amateur organization of USSSA has multi-sport coverage and encompasses teams and players from the United States and abroad.


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