Racers Unable to Recover
from Sloppy Play Early
July 6,
2007, Akron, Ohio -
The
Akron Racers lost to Team China
2-1 due mostly to
uncharacteristically bad defense
early.
The first
batter of the game, Zhou Yi, hit
a sharp ground ball to shortstop
Kristin Johnson and beat out the
throw to first for the first hit
of the game. After a sacrifice
bunt advanced Yi to second,
designated player Xin Min Hong
hit a ball back to pitcher Jamee
Juarez. However, when Juarez
attempted to throw Yi out
leaning towards third, a throw
by third baseman Norelle Dickson
back to second sailed into right
field.
Dickson's
throwing error allowed Yi to
score an unearned run. Min Hong
advanced to third on the play
and scored two batters later
when Zhang Ai hit a double to
left field. Ai would be retired
after the second error of the
inning when Johnson was able to
catch her off third making up
for her own error.
In the top of
the first, China scored two
unearned runs on two hits and
two errors.
From there
Juarez and her Akron (11-7)
teammates settled down not
allowing another Chinese runner
to score. Juarez only allowed
only two more batters to reach
base in the last six innings on
a two-out walk in the top of the
third inning and a lead-off
double to catcher Pan Xia in the
sixth inning.
Juarez
finished the day going the full
seven innings giving up two
unearned runs on three hits, a
walk and four strikeouts.
Unfortunately
for Juarez, the Racer bats never
found the rhythm that the
defense did. The only offense
for the Racers all night was a
two out smash over the left
field fence by Veronica Wootson.
The home run was Wootson's third
in two games against China and
made her the sole leader of home
runs in the NPF.
Akron's best
opportunities to score came in
the first and final innings as
they had the bases loaded with
one out in the home half of the
first, and runners on the
corners with one out in bottom
of the seventh, but failed to
deliver the definitive blow to
China both times.
The poor
defense and hitting led to
Juarez's third loss of the year,
dropping her to 6-3, even though
she did not give up an earned
run.
For Team
China, Li Qi picked up the
complete game victory yielding
one run on four hits and three
walks while striking out eight,
while never giving up more than
one hit in an inning.
China and
Akron will play game three of
this even four game series
tomorrow at 7:05 P.M. as the
Asian festival continues with
pre-game festivities beginning
at 5:00 P.M.
For ticket
information, contact the Akron
Racer ticket office at
(330)376-8188.
