National Pro Fastpitch Softball: Pennsylvania Rebellion Rising Up At Consol Energy Park
By Larry Snyder
Batter up! With the smell of the fresh cut grass, the ring of a bat, and visions of sliding hard into home, the time has come for the Girls of Summer to take the diamond at Consol Energy Park in Washington.
This year for the first time, the Washington Wild Things of minor-league baseball’s Frontier League will share their summer home with the Pennsylvania Rebellion of the National Pro Fastpitch women’s softball league.
The Rebellion open on the road as they take on the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Pride on Friday and Saturday at Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland. This is the home of the Single-A baseball Delmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League. Both games are to get underway at 7:05 p.m.
The team remains on the road for two more games with the Pride on Monday, June 2, and Tuesday, June 3 at Joe Cannon Stadium in Hanover, Maryland. The Pride are the defending 2013 NPF Champions and are based out of Kissimmee, Florida.
Both home and away Rebellion contests will be broadcast this season through msasports.net with Nate Regotti describing the action. In addition, this series with the Pride will be aired live on ESPN 3 with Bernie Guenther, Barb Jordan, and Kristen Bedard on the call.
The Rebellion’s inaugural home opener is set for Thursday, June 5 when they host the USSSA Pride for a four-game homestand. The first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
Besides the 24 home games, manager Rick Bertagnolli and his squad will also play 24 games on the road for a total of 48 this season. The NPF Championship Series will be played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama from Wednesday, Aug. 20 to Saturday, Aug. 23.
Some of the players to keep an eye for the Rebellion include: Infielder Jennifer Salling who hit .305 and drove in 10 RBI with the Pride last season…Infielder Bianca Mejia who batted .260 and drove in 22 RBI with the New York/New Jersey Comets last year. She was the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year in 2011 as the starting shortstop with the Carolina Diamonds…Righthanded pitcher Sarah Pauly was named to the NPF All-Pro Team last season with the Pride. She accumulated 90 strikeouts in 88 innings and finished with a 9-5 record.
Rookies that could be on the rise this season include: Righthanded pitcher Dallas Ecobedo from Arizona State University, who was the first overall pick made by the Rebellion at the 2014 NPF Draft. Her career numbers with the Sun Devils are highlighted by a 1.90 ERA and 1196 strikeouts…Catcher Taylor Edwards from the University of Nebraska was drafted in the second round, eighth overall by the Rebellion. She is one of two players in Cornhusker history to produce 40 career home runs and 40 career doubles…Righthanded pitcher Anna Miller from the University of South Carolina Upstate was drafted in the fourth round, 16th overall by the Rebellion. She went 19-5 as a senior with a 1.41 ERA and 241 strikeouts.
First-year players signed by the Rebellion that could make a contribution at Consol Energy Park this summer include outfielder B.B. Bates from UCLA; outfielder Ashley Carter from Cal State Fullerton; and righthanded pitcher/utility Tatum Edwards from Nebraska.
This summer, it’s time to join the Rebellion.