NPF Finals: USSSA Pride Sweeps Chicago Bandits to Repeat as Cowels Cup Champions

The USSSA Pride swept the best-of-five Championship Series at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois to capture its second straight Cowles Cup and fifth since 2010.

It’s also the seventh time the two teams have made the Championship Series with the Pride holding a 5-3 series lead.

In Game 3, the clinching game, the Pride won 8-2 after jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning before fans had barely settled into their seats.

The Florida-based pro team stormed to the early lead behind a lead-off single by Sydney Romero (Oklahoma, 2019) and then back-to-back home runs by Shelby Pendley (Oklahoma, 2015) and Brittany Cervantes (Kentucky, 2012) off Bandits starter Rachele Fico (LSU, 2013).

Pendley goes YARD down the RF line to put the @USSSAPride ahead 2-0 in the top of the 1 INN against the @Chicago_Bandits. Great start for the lefty @PendleyShelby💪

Watch more amazing plays @FloSoftball or on our Facebook live #SERIES2019 #WomenWorthWatching #NPF2019 pic.twitter.com/VSrVadcNVb

— NationalProFastpitch (@profastpitch) August 18, 2019

The Bandits squad, which finished the regular season with the league’s best record at 38-7, wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.

The home team for the series responded with power of its own as NPF Rookie of the Year Abbey Cheek (Kentucky, 2019) hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning and the Bandits pulled within one in the bottom of the 2^nd inning on a Courtney Gano (Washington, 2016) RBI single.

Home Run Derby or Championship Series? Cheek hits a BOMB and puts the @Chicago_Bandits on the board against the @USSSAPride👏 This is why @AbbeyCheek is the Rookie of the Year!

Don't miss the battle between the best of the best @FloSoftball or live on our Facebook #SERIES19 pic.twitter.com/pkUjjxc085

— NationalProFastpitch (@profastpitch) August 18, 2019

Chicago loaded the bases in the inning but with two outs Taran Alvelo (Washington, 2019) struck out Amanda Chidester (Michigan, 2016) the NPF’s Player of the Year, to end the threat.

The next inning, the Pride blew open the game with three more runs to extend its lead to 6-2 keyed by two-run double by Shay Knighten (Oklahoma, 2019).

Knighten, who like Romero and Pendley starred at the University of Oklahoma, also had an RBI single in the 5^th inning and would earn Player of the Game recognition as she went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

Shay Knighten's bat is HOT & READY🔥 @shay_1715 hits a 2R stand-up DOUBLE for the @USSSAPride giving them a 6-2 lead over the @Chicago_Bandits as we enter the bottom of the 3 INN.

Stay updated by tuning in LIVE on @profastpitch Facebook or @FloSoftball🥎 #SERIES19 #NPF2019 pic.twitter.com/BVNW1N8YYs

— NationalProFastpitch (@profastpitch) August 18, 2019

Pride third baseman Pendley showed she was as hot with the leather as she was with the bat and would make the play of the series as she stabbed a hard hit ground ball down by Gwen Svekis (Oregon, 2019) down the third base line that prevented the Bandits from getting a rally going.

"She is one of the best, if not the best we've ever seen."- @BarbJordan18 Wow @PendleyShelby. Just Wow.

Pendley robs the @Chicago_Bandits from extra bases and the @USSSAPride hold the lead 7-2🥎 #SCTop10 #SERIES19 #NPF2019 #WomenWorthWatching pic.twitter.com/955GBQI8VL

— NationalProFastpitch (@profastpitch) August 18, 2019

Jailyn Ford (James Madison, 2016) ended the 5th inning threat with two strikeouts to shut down the would-be rally. Ford would be named the 2019 Series MVP after she had 15 K’s in the three games in the Championship Series and notched a win and two saves.

One name and one name only…

The 2019 @BoombahInc MVP goes to no other than Jailyn Ford from the @USSSAPride! Hats off to the incredible pitching performance @jaylander12🧢

15 Stike Outs, 1 Win, and 2 Saves in only 3 Games! #SERIES2019 #NPF2019 #WomenWorthWatching pic.twitter.com/ZTo7Oz8rIA

— NationalProFastpitch (@profastpitch) August 18, 2019

Retiring legend Kelly Kretschman (Alabama, 2001) who played 14 years in the league, had an RBI single in the 6^th inning to finish the scoring and end the game 8-2 for the Pride.

Gerry Glasco (Louisiana-Lafayette), the head coach of the Pride, commented via social media:

“These women have been amazing and inspiring to be around all summer and I want to thank all of them for making it possible to win a championship after all the adversity we faced with six or seven players being lost to season-ending injuries.”

& just like that the @USSSAPride do it again! Standing ovation for the BACK-TO-BACK COWELS CUP CHAMPIONS🎉 HUGE Congratulations to all the amazing players who left it all on the field👏

FINAL SCORE:@USSSAPride – 8@Chicago_Bandits – 2#SERIES19 #NPF2019 #WomenWorthWatching pic.twitter.com/2Bk3ZsoXC5

— NationalProFastpitch (@profastpitch) August 18, 2019