Bandits stumble in series opener against Akron
AKRON, Ohio - The Chicago Bandits came up just short Tuesday night against the Akron Racers, falling 3-2 in a game in which the first three batters for the Bandits went a combined 1-for-12. Pitchers Ellen Roberts and Shelby Turnier pitched well enough to win, but the offense couldn't capitalize on important opportunities, leaving runners stranded on base throughout the night.
Roberts, who started in the circle for the Bandits, pitched a clean first inning but ran into trouble in the second. With two runners aboard for Akron, Nicole Schroeder doubled to right-center, driving in the first two runs of the game and giving the Racers an early 2-0 lead.
On the other end, Racers' starter Rachele Fico had the Bandits' number in the early going, holding Chicago scoreless on two hits through the first three frames while tossing an efficient 29 pitches.
Chicago's bats came alive in the fourth when left fielder Natalie Hernandez cut the Racers' lead in half with a solo home run over the fence in left. The homer was Hernandez' second in her last three games. Later in the inning, rookie Abby Ramirez knocked a single through the right side of the infield, allowing Stacy May-Johnson to touch home and tie the game at two after four innings.
Roberts departed after walking the leadoff batter in the fourth, giving way to Shelby Turnier in relief. The Australian import completed three-plus innings of work, allowing two earned runs on three hits while walking three Racers batters and striking out one.
In the fifth, the Racers untied the game with a Shellie Robinson RBI-triple to deep center. Former Bandit A.J. Andrews scored easily from second base to make it 3-2 in favor of Akron. Turnier was tagged for the run and subsequently, the loss, falling to 1-3 on the season.
The Racers brought in reliever Alexis Silkwood to start the top half of the fifth and she made short work of the Bandits batters. Chicago mustered just one hit during the final three innings in the loss and went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
The Bandits will look to bounce back in game two of the series on Wednesday night at 6:05 p.m. at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.