Bandits get important win over Charge
SAN MARCOS, Texas - The Bandits earned an important series win on Sunday afternoon against the Texas Charge at Bobcat Softball Stadium. After splitting the opening two games of the set, Chicago's offense set the tone early in the rubber match and pitchers Lacey Waldrop and Haylie Wagner held the Texas bats in check, leading the Bandits to a 6-3 win.
The Bandits' offense provided Waldrop an early 3-0 lead, getting to Charge starter Lauren Haeger in the opening frame. After Sammy Marshall led off the game with a triple to the right-center field gap, Emily Carosone continued to swing a hot bat with an RBI-single up the middle. Emily Crane later hit her second home run of the season, an opposite-field shot to left-center, to ignite a big first inning for the Bandits.
Crane's two home runs are tied for the team lead alongside Kristen Brown.
The lead, however, didn't last long as the Charge responded quickly with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning, later adding a pair of additional runs to even the score at 3-3 after two.
Waldrop eventually settled in for a respectable start. The right-hander went 3⅓ innings in the circle, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits while striking out 1. Command was an issue at times for the right-hander, who surrendered 3 walks and hit one batter on the day.
Waldrop, who entered the game with a 3-1 mark, departed with a 4-3 lead after Sammy Marshall's RBI-groundout put the Bandits ahead. However, she did not go the minimum distance necessary to factor into the win and was saddled with a no-decision.
Southpaw Haylie Wagner continued her strong start to the 2017 season by tossing the final 3⅔ innings, allowing 0 runs on just 1 hit. She was credited with her sixth win of the season after closing out the 6-3 victory.
The Bandits added two more runs off an RBI-double from Abby Ramirez and a bunt from Marshall, her second RBI of the game.
The Bandits will look to carry the momentum into their next series, a three-game meeting with the Akron Racers starting Tuesday.