Hoover AL, TX – August 15, 2015 – The Dallas Charge fell 8-7 in game two of the 2015 NPF Championship Series Semi-Final to the USSSA Pride Saturday night at the Met in Hoover, AL. The loss gave the Pride a 2-0 series win and signaled the end of the Charge’s inaugural season.
Chelsea Thomas collected the win for the Pride in the back and forth affair. The Missouri alum went four innings gave up three runs on three hits. She struck out one. Jolene Henderson suffered the loss. Henderson left the game after just two-thirds of an inning when a line drive came back and hit her in the head. The Pride scored three runs on four hits in the first frame. Henderson was relieved by Morgan Melloh, who had to scramble to get warm, when Henderson had to leave the game unexpectedly.
The Pride got out to an early 4-0 lead, helped by Shelby Pendley’s first inning two-run, two-out triple to right. Madison Shipman brought Pendley home with a single for run number three. In the third inning, a walk and two errors turned into the Pride’s fourth run and seemingly insurmountable lead.
In the top of fourth the Charge would begin to attack. With Taylor Thom and Kaitlyn Richardson at second and third base respectively, Brianna Cherry singled up the middle plating both.
Renada Davis homered in the top of the fifth to close the gap to one run, 4-3.
The Pride exploded in the home half of the fifth, pushing four across. Pendley hit a two-run homer to get things going. Watley later followed with an RBI bloop single to right. Next Watley stole second and an errant throw allowed Courtney Ceo to stroll home from third and make the score 8-3.
The Charge battle backed. Nicole Morgan singled home Thom and center fielder Eri Yamada single home Tori Valos who was running for Castillo. The two runs made it 8-5.
In the seventh, the Charge got a two-run homer from Thom, but it was not enough and the Charge fell 8-7.