Costly error gives Bandits 3-2 win

After earning the best record in National Pro Fastpitch regular season, the Chicago Bandits find themselves in a familiar place — one win away from another NPF title.

Last year the Bandits were denied a chance to repeat as NPF champions when storms washed out a full day of play, prompting the league to cancel the title match. But Friday night at The Ballpark at Rosemont, the Bandits would not be denied as they took advantage of two defensive miscues in the bottom of the seventh for a stunning 3-2 victory over No. 2 seed USSSA Pride.

The Pride and the Bandits will meet again at 4 p.m. today (ESPN2 and ESPN3.com) for Game 2 of their best-of-three championship series. If Game 3 is necessary, it will follow at 7 p.m.

The Pride, behind pitcher Cat Osterman (13 K, 2H), advanced to the championship round with a 2-1 win over the Akron Racers in Friday’s first game, which also was decided by a defensive mistake, a botched rundown.

In the nightcap, Bandits ace Monica Abbott held the Pride scoreless through four innings but had trouble keeping the bases clear, giving up 8 hits in seven innings (9 strikeouts). The Pride’s Kelly Kretschman touched Abbott with two-out RBI singles in the fifth (tying the game) and seventh innings.

That staked pitcher Keilani Ricketts, who gave up only 2 hits in the game, to a 2-1. But her defensive until couldn’t hold on after she walked Tammy Williams to open the seventh. One out later, Pride third baseman Haruna Sakamoto made a wild throw to first on a bouncer by Amber Patton. Williams scored and Patton advanced to third and then scored on an error by catcher Megan Willis.