AKRON, Ohio After a two hour and eight minute rain delay held up the deciding game between the #2 Racers and the #3 Juggernaut, NY/NJs Courtney Scott provided the thunder with a two-run homerun. The blast gave the Juggernaut a 3-1 lead, a lead they would never relinquish en route to the 2-1 series victory over the Racers.
NY/NJ Juggernaut 3, Akron Racers 2 (Box Score)
Courtney Scotts homerun came in the top of the fourth inning after fouling off several pitches from Akron starter Brandee McArthur. The homerun was her second of the season, and was the first home run of the playoffs for the Nauts.
As they did in game one on Wednesday night, the Juggernaut got on the scoreboard first. NY/NJ tallied one run in the top of the second inning on Laura Harms single into right field that plated Lisa Iancin who singled to open the frame.
The Racers responded, however, with single runs of their own in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, but that was all the Akron offense could muster off of Juggernaut starter Amanda Scott.
Amanda Scott showed why she won 15 games during the regular season, and why she had already notched a victory in the 2004 playoffs with the complete game win. Amanda Scott recorded eight strikeouts in tonights game, and 17 in her two starts in the semifinal series. McArthur took the loss for Akron in both of the Racers losses in the series with NY/NJ.
The Juggernaut will await the winner of tonights New England Riptide vs. Texas Thunder game. Game time for tomorrow nights championship game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT, and fans can tune into
www.npf.prosportsradio.com beginning at 6:45 p.m. EDT for the Majestic Athletic Pregame Show.
NPF, the worlds premier professional fastpitch softball league for women, consists of six teams located throughout the United States and features former USA Softball Womens National Team members, collegiate All-Americans and all-conference selections. The 2004 season has featured the inaugural NPF All-Star Game, the first-ever NPF Championship Semifinal and the first NPF Championship Series.
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Denver, and has been in operation since 1997 under the names Womens Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Womens Pro Softball League (WPSL).
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