ROSEMONT, Ill. – June 23, 2015 – The Bandits beat the Dallas Charge 2-0 on Tuesday night to sweep the first ever series between the two teams in NPF history. Chicago pitchers Kirsten Verdun, Monica Abbott and Sara Moulton only gave up a combined 11 hits in the three game sweep.
Moulton got the start for the Bandits in the series finale and allowed just four hits in five innings of work, including four strikeouts to get her third win of the season. Morgan Melloh was in the circle for Dallas and took the loss.
For the third straight game this series, the Bandits took a 1-0 early lead in the first inning. Emily Allard led off with a single to short and scored on a Brittany Cervantes base hit.
The Charge threatened to score in the third with the bases loaded and one out but the scoring opportunity was averted with a force out at home and a strikeout. Moulton’s former teammate at the University of Minnesota, Kaitlyn Richardson, started the inning with a single.
Natalie Hernandez hit a solo shot to left in the fourth inning to increase the Bandits lead to 2-0. “I was so excited, I think I sprinted really fast around the bases,” she said about her first home run of the season. “I don’t think everyone was out of the dugout yet and I made it home.”
In the sixth inning Michelle Gascoigne relieved Moulton with runners on first and second with no outs. Gascoigne struck out Brianna Cherry for the first out and then Allard managed to gun down Kahley Novak at third from left center after dropping a pop-up. Amber Patton caught a foul pop-up by Nicole Morgan to end the inning. Gascoigne pitched two hitless innings to seal the victory while picking up her first save of the year.
The Charge will face Akron in a home series beginning on Monday, June 29 in Colorado but will return to Craig Ranch on Saturday, July 4 for a two-game set against the Racers. Visit dallascharge.com to order your tickets for the Akron Racer only visit to Craig Ranch this season.
BOX SCORE LINK: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=90425