COCOA, Fla. - The Stars rallied from a one-run deficit twice on Wednesday to claim a 6-3 victory in game three of the Women’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) and hand the Stripes their first loss of the series at the Launch Pad Sports Complex in Cocoa, Florida. The Stripes now lead the four-game Women’s NTDP series 2-1 with one game left to play.

The Stripes struck first for the third time in as many games with one run in the bottom of the first but the Stars stayed close through the first three innings. Both teams scored in the fourth as the Stars tied it up in the top half and the Stripes retook a one-run lead in the bottom half before the Stars came storming back with four runs in the fifth for a 5-2 advantage. The teams traded runs once again in the bottom of the sixth and the top of the seventh as the Stars held off a Stripes rally to claim the 6-3 victory.

Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif.) and Ashton Lansdell (Marietta, Ga.) paced the Stars offense with multi-hit games. Both players tallied RBIs in the contest while Lahners also scored a run in the win. Alex Hugo (Olathe, Kan.) and Olivia Pichardo (Forest Hills, N.Y.) had two hits each for the Stripes.

Delaney Dunham (Mont Belvieu, Texas) earned the win after throwing two innings of relief in which she gave up just two hits and did not allow a walk or an earned run. Marti Sementelli (West Newton, Mass.) suffered the loss after allowing three earned runs on four hits in one inning of relief. Meggie Meidlinger (Sterling, Va.) tossed the final two innings of the game for the Stars and earned the save after giving up just one run on one hit.

Key Moments

• After Jill Albayati (Anaheim, Calif.) singled to lead off the bottom of the first and stole second to get into scoring position, Jade Gortarez (Riverside, Calif.) brought her home and gave the Stripes a 1-0 lead with an RBI single up the middle.
• Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs for the Stars in the top of the fourth and Anna Kimbrell (Fort Mill, S.C.) took advantage with a sacrifice fly that brought in Lahners and tied the game at one run apiece.
• The Stripes answered in the very next frame to retake a 2-1 lead as Remi Schaber (Memphis, Tenn.) reached on a fielder’s choice and came around to score on a double off the bat of Pichardo.
• The Stars tied the game once again in the top of the fifth as Alana Martinez (Cooper City, Fla.) reached on a Stripes miscue and Amanda Gianelloni (Napoleonville, La.) brought her in with an RBI single to make it 2-2.
• The Stars took their first lead of the game in dominant fashion in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs courtesy of RBI singles from Lahners and Ashton Lansdell (Marietta, Ga.), and an RBI groundout from Jamie Baum (Los Altos, Calif.) for a 5-2 advantage.
• The Stripes got one back in the bottom of the sixth when Schaber hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly that allowed Albayati to score to make it a 5-3 game.
• After a leadoff single by Baum in the top of the seventh, the Stars extended their advantage back to three runs when Peyton Coria (Perris, Calif.) brought Baum in with an RBI single that finished off the 6-3 victory.

Notable Information

• The Stripes now lead the Women's NTDP series 2-1.
• In addition to leading the Stripes at the plate, Pichardo also got the start on the mound in game three and threw 3.1 innings in which she allowed just one run on three hits and struck out a game-high four batters.
• Elise Berger (Shelburne, Vt.) got her second start of the series for the Stars on Wednesday and gave up just one run on three hits without allowing a walk in two innings of work.
• Albayati leads the Women’s NTDP with a .600 batting average (3-for-5) and four walks.
• Gortarez is pacing both teams in hits at the Women’s NTDP with five through three games.
• Schaber has a Women’s NTDP-leading four RBIs so far this week, followed closely by Albayati who has racked up three.

On Deck

• October 14: Stars vs. Stripes (12:15 p.m. EDT; Cocoa, Fla.; Launch Pad Sports Complex)

Social

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