Haeger and Thom Lead the Charge past the Racers

July 3, 2015

Aurora, Colorado, Thursday, July 2, 2015 – Lauren Haeger and Taylor Thom each homered to help the Dallas Charge break a six game losing streak Thursday night and beat the Akron Racers 8-5 in a rain delayed game in Aurora, Colorado in front of a large crowd. Both Haeger and Thom were two for three and delivered three RBI on the night. The win improved the Charge rookie season record to 7-13 and stopped the Racers win streak at three, dropping them to 11-10 overall on the season.

Lauren Haeger started in the circle for the Charge and made quick work of the Racers in the top of the first. In the home half of the inning, she opened the scoring with a three run blast to centerfield off Racer starter Sarah Pauly. It scored Renada Davis who had walked and Eri Yamada who had singled up the middle.

The Charge three run lead would last until the top of the third when the Racer bats came alive. Ashley Thomas started things with a lead off bunt single. After a strike out, Jill Barrett walked moving Thomas up a base. Nerassa Myers promptly singled to right scoring Thomas. An errant throw from right field and no backup allowed Barrett to also come around and score, tightening the game at 3-2. Taylor Schlopy followed with a 2-run blast to left center to put the Racers on top 4-3. Before the inning would end, weather would delay the contest about 90 minutes.

Played resumed around 930pm. The Charge could not answer in the bottom of the third, but kept Haeger regrouped and kept the Racer bats quiet in the top of four. In the bottom of the inning the Charge would fight back. A one out walk to Kylee Lahners was followed by a Kaylyn Castillo single to center. Ashley Burkhart flew out to left before Thom singled to center plating Lahners and tying the game at four. Castillo moved to third and Thom scooted to second base on the throw home. Renada Davis kept things going with a triple down the right field line scoring Thom and Castillo, giving the Charge a 6-4 heading into the fifth.

The Racers would not go away quietly. Ayumi Karino beat out a bunt single. Barrett moved her over with a well-executed sacrifice bunt and Myers reached on a Thom error. Schlopy continued to swing a hot bat and drove in Myers with a single to center, closing the gap to 6-5.

In the sixth inning the Racers would threaten by Haeger stiffened and the Charge took a 6-5 lead to the bottom of the frame. Thom came to the plate with two outs and Burkhart at first. She drilled a line drive into the crowd in left field giving the Charge and Haeger some insurance for the Racers’ last at bat.

Haeger coaxed a ground out from Karino before Barrett legged out a bunt. Myers then hit a weak line drive that Thom snagged and threw first to double Barrett to end the game.

Both Haeger and Pauly went the distance. Haeger improved to 2-4 in the circle. Pauly went to 5-2.

Coach McFalls said post game, “It was a good win. I like this group. We’ll be ok, we just have to keep fighting and improving.”

The Charge will take Akron again on Saturday night, back home in McKinney, TX at 6:45pm CT. You can find live stats at www.dallascharge.com.

See the box score here - https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=90458