Akron Racers 10, Team Canada 2

AKRON, Ohio—The Akron Racers finally caught some good luck on Friday night as the bad weather subsided in time for them to defeat the Canadian National Team 10-2. The luck didn’t end there though as the Racers (7-7) scored their ten runs on only eight hits for the night.

The Canadians were unable to counter the Racers’ attack however as they were only able to muster two runs on three hits.

Even though Akron hit the ball well all night, they found other ways to get on base as well as they garnered seven walks and had four batters hit by a pitch to add to their seven hits. It all started in the first inning, when the Racers forced Canadian pitcher Danielle Lawrie to throw 43 pitches leading to two runs, on one hit and four free passes.

Racers’ captain Kristen Butler helped keep the offense going in the third inning when she hit a home run over the fence in right center.

Her bat did not quiet down throughout the game as she stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning and hammered another home run over the left centerfield wall.

Once the Racer hitters got on base, they did not stay put as they stole four bases including a double steal by Norelle Dickson and Angelena Mexicano in the fourth inning.

The Racers’ leadoff hitter Dickson joined the series of strange events when she scored a run on a throwing error by Canada’s catcher in the fourth inning. India Chiles later scored on an error charged to shortstop Jenn Salling.

It never hurts a team’s offense to have one of the best pitchers in the NPF toe the rubber, and the Racers took advantage of Virginia Tech product Angela Tincher’s solid outing once again by providing her support from the very beginning. Tincher (4-2) breezed through the first five innings and made just one mistake when she gave up a homerun to Jennifer Yee in the sixth inning. This gives Tincher her team leading fourth win on the year.

The two teams will be at it again starting tomorrow morning at 10 AM when they play the first game of a double header. The win brings Akron back to the .500 mark on the season. These next two games against the Canadian team will be their last against a team not from the NPF until they host the United States National Team on July 22.

For ticket information contact the Racers ticket office at 330-376- 8188.