University of Tennessee Athletics
SB Alums Abbott, Doepking Chase NPF Title
August 26, 2012 | Softball
Aug. 26, 2012
ROSEMONT, Ill. - In a rematch of the last year's Championship Final, the USSSA Pride and Chicago Bandits faced off against each other Saturday night at the Ballpark in Rosemont for the best two-out-of-three NPF Final Championship Series. Tennessee alums Monica Abbott and Shannon Doepking led the Bandits to a 2-1 victory in Game 1.
There are three UT alums between the two teams. The Pride has Tennessee's 2008 SEC Player of the Year Tonya Callahan on its roster.
Abbott (2-0), the NPF Pitcher of the Year, got the call against Cat Osterman (1-2) of the Pride. It was a pitcher's duel through the first two innings of the game when the Bandits broke through in the top of the third as Amanda Williams worked a leadoff walk bringing Doepking to the plate. Her two-run blast to centerfield gave the Bandits another early lead as they went up 2-0.
The Pride threatened in the third after walks to Caitlin Lowe and Jessica Mendoza put two on for Kelly Kretschman who grounded out to Tammy Williams ending the inning with the Bandits still on top.
Abbott was working with a no hit bid through the first three innings before Andrea Duran's leadoff single in the fourth but Abbott put down the rest of the Pride batters in order.
Osterman continued to move through the Bandits order only allowing Doepking another base hit in the fifth before the Pride finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh. The Pride's Lauren Lappin cut the Bandits lead in half with a solo shot to left field. Natasha Watley followed up with single but Abbott struck out Jessica Mendoza, who entered the game with four home runs and 12 RBIs through the first three games.
Abbott got the win giving up just four hits and four walks over seven innings with six strikeouts while Osterman took the loss giving up two runs on four hits and a walk including six strikeouts.
Both teams return to action tomorrow in the second game of the NPF Final Championship Series at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised live by ESPN2 and ESPN3. If the Pride win to force a third and final game, the first pitch will take place at 7 p.m. ET, also on the ESPN network.
