Bandits' bats befuddled by former pitcher
THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Expectedly, Tuesday night's encounter between Chicago's Haylie Wagner and Scrap Yard Dawgs' southpaw Monica Abbott turned into a pitcher's duel. Abbott, in search of her fifth consecutive win to start the 2017 season, held the Bandits' bats at bay in an 8-0 win, although Wagner allowed just three runs in her start before the Dawgs blew the game open late.
Wagner, who suffered her second loss of the season, pitched out of trouble early on, but was tagged for a run in the second. Scrap Yard shortstop Kayla Winkfield reached with a one-out hit and came across to score via an RBI-single from Kiki Stokes.
Stokes finished the night a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBI.
Wagner wasn't the beneficiary of much luck in the back half of her start as the southpaw surrendered another two runs on a groundout and a single that fell inches out of the grasp of a diving Abby Ramirez in shallow left field.
"You ask your pitchers to keep you in the game," Bandits head coach Sharonda McDonald said. "(Wagner) did a great job of that. She threw some really good pitches. We just couldn't get anything going."
While Wagner kept the Bandits within scoring distance, Abbott continued to mow down Chicago batters. The former Bandit ace fanned 15 in a complete game, three-hit performance in the circle. With the 15 strikeouts, she matched her previous start, another 15-strikeout effort in a 4-1 win over the USSSA Pride.
"Monica (Abbott) is a great pitcher," Wagner said. "I just went after them but it didn't go my way."
Bandits' second-year right-hander Shelby Turnier and rookie right-hander Breanna Wonderly pitched in relief of Wagner.
Emily Carosone's two-hit night and Megan Blank's seventh inning single represented the lone offense for the Bandits. Carosone has now hit safely in 13 of her 14 games this season and sits atop the NPF with 24 hits.
"We've got to show some fight, stay within ourselves and get back at it tomorrow," McDonald said.
The Bandits will be back in action on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m., against the Scrap Yard Dawgs at Scrap Yard Sports Complex.