Racers Get Back on Track
with 5-2 win over China
July 7, 2007, Akron,
Ohio - After
two games of
fundamentally sloppy
play, the Racers finally
got back to playing like
they know how. Akron
outperformed Team China
in every aspect of the
game Saturday night to
win 5-2.
The
Racers (12-7) got off to
a fast start on
offense. In the bottom
of the first, the Racers
got their first five
batters on base.
Veronica Wootson led off
the game with a single
to left field. Third
baseman Norelle Dickson
followed that with a
chopper to second base
that she beat for a
single. Next up, Iyhia
McMichael reached on a
two base error by
shortstop Sun Li,
scoring Wootson. Two
batters later and with
runners on second and
third base Kristen
Butler laced a single to
left field that scored
both McMichael and
Kellie Middleton.
The
Racers went on to add
insurance runs in the
second and third, on a
Wootson single plated
Kristin Johnson, who
tripled to right earlier
in the second inning,
and a double smashed to
right field by Butler
scored McMichael in the
home half of the third
inning. Butler ended
the day 2-3 with a
double and three runs
batted in.
While
the Racers' offense was
busy building a 5-0 lead
Akron's pitcher Radara
McHugh was busy setting
down Chinese batters.
She gave up only two
infield hits in the
first three innings
while facing only ten
batters.
Team
China attempted a
comeback in the middle
of the game as they
scored a run in the top
of both the fourth and
fifth innings, but that
would be as close as
they could get.
The
defense for Akron
returned to typical form
as well. After
making eight errors in
the first two games of
the series, the Racers
didn't yield a single
error and even made some
great plays along the
way led by Johnson. The
shortstop started five
groundouts including two
balls where she
ranged far into the hole
before throwing out the
batter.
For
the Racers, McHugh (5-3)
picked up the complete
game victory giving up
two runs on seven hits
and three walks.
For
China, Zhou Yin picked
up the loss giving up
five runs, four earned,
on nine hits while
striking out a pair.
These
two exciting teams
finish their series
tomorrow with the first
pitched scheduled for
12:05 P.M.
For
ticket information for
that game or any other
Akron Racer home game
please contacted the
Racer ticket office at
(330)376-8188.
