Charge in Extra Innings to Bandits

ROSEMONT, Ill- July 25, 2015 - Game three of the series between the Dallas Charge and the Chicago Bandits was a polar opposite from the first two games on Thursday and Friday. Kirsten Verdun of the Bandits faced off against Morgan Melloh for the Charge in a pitchers duel that needed extras to settle it.

Verdun pitched 6.1 shutout innings with four hits allowed and three strikeouts. Melloh matched that dominance with seven innings of one hit ball until the bottom of the eighth when she gave up the game winning hit.

Both teams needed key defensive plays to keep runs off the board. Danielle Henderson made a sliding catch in foul territory to end the third and Brianna Cherry robbed Megan Blank of a hit in right field with a diving catch in the fourth. Tammy Williams initiated two 6-4-3 double plays in the fourth and fifth with Danielle Zymkowitz and Blank.

Monica Abbott came on in relief in the seventh for Verdun with one out and Eri Yamada on second to win the game and improve her record to 9-1 on the season.

Yamada started the inning with a single and advanced to scoring position via a Lauren Haeger sacrifice bunt. Abbott forced both Kaylyn Castillo and Kaitlyn Richardson to groundout to end the top half of the inning and struck out the side in the eighth to continue the game.

Kailee Cuico drew a walk to start the bottom of the eighth and advanced to second on a groundout by Zymkowitz. Allard benefited from a dropped foul ball miscommunication play between Henderson and Castillo to the left of home plate to earn a second life and a rejuvenated at bat.

Two pitches later Allard hit the game winning RBI to left center to score Sammy Marshall who pinch ran for Cuico earning the Bandits a series victory. Allard rounded first and made a complete 360 before second to meet her teammates in celebration.

The Charge visit the PA Rebellion for two games on Monday and Tuesday, July 27 and 28 before concluding the 22-day road trip with two games against Akron.

BOX SCORE LINK: https://ow.ly/Q5STh