The Nauts pitching has been there with Amanda Scott at 10-6, Kaci Clark at 7-4 and welcome contributions of 9 wins from Gina Oaks has been there except on certain nights in Houston, Texas. The Nauts have lost 5 games of their 16 in Houston to the Texas Thunder and lost them soundly to the Thunder Trio of Peaches James, Christa Williams and Lindsay Chouinard. The Thunder come into New Jersey one week from Monday to battle for first place.
But, first things first, the Nauts have to make a convincing statement against the Akron Racers this week who visit Montclair State University Stadium beginning Wednesday night at 7:35 P.M. This weekend of July 31-August 1, the Racers and the Thunder are clawing at each other in Akron. The Nauts hope they really tear each other up.
This week will also find the Nauts playing directly for their personable young owner, Paul Plemenos who has fired his second manager in 43 games. Plemenos did so, according to sources because he wants more aggressive offensive play. Those sources also tell us the Juggernauts are known around the league for base-to-base play, little stealing, and predictable sacrifice bunts as soon as they get a Naut on base.
The Nauts ran into some really bad fielding on their last trip into Texas, and hurt both Amanda Scott and Kaci Clark with inopportune errors.
What WPCNR has seen of the team, we have seen them play in person twice, and on television twice, the team has excellent outfield play and solid infield defense, but it could be that the grind of a 6-games a week schedule, which the players are not used to is taking its toll.
Most of the players in the college game simply do not have the travel and the grind of all-softball-all-time. Slumps happen in the daily demands of a professional season. Owner Plemenos by shaking things up a second time this season in true Steinbrenner fashion, may simply be trying to infuse new energy for the stretch drive. WPCNR has been told the players like the owner, his enthusiasm, and his philosophy.
The teams WPCNR has noted in the NPF put on great shows for the fans. The Nauts are averaging around 400 to 500 fans for their games, and even attracted 500 in midweek for the Arizona doubleheader Wednesday on short notice. Akron has drawn well, but the entire league suffers from a deliberate media blackout on the part of the major newspaper, television networks and radio stations, as WPCNR has documented.
Getting back to the Juggernauts with 17 games to go, Pasquerella the third baseman is impressive around the hot corner. Lindsay Klein the shortstop has incredible range and reactions, and Carrie Leto at second and Kellie Wilkerson at first complete the defense well. The outfield of Lauren Bauer Venus Taylor and newcomer Laura Harms in right is very quick to the ball. The hitting has hurt the club, the big bats of Kellie Wilkerson and Lyndsey Klein, and the clutch hitting of Germaine Fairchild (coming off the bench often in the clutch) have been the bright spots.
Wilkerson leads the club with a.342 B.A., with Klein next at .255. Both Wilkerson and Klein have 15 RBIs. Carrie "Lightning" Leto after a scorching start seems to have leveled off at .234. But the entire league with the exception of Texas...the league's leading hitting club...has been dominated by pitching.
Oddly, in hardball, the best teams usually have the best pitching. In Fastpitch the opposite is true, every team in the league has great windmill pitchers. It is the teams with the best hitters that are winning the most games.
The Juggernaut plays entertaining games, almost always close. The players are very personable and go out of their way to sell the game to their fans and the community and the Nauts at least are winning friends and fans in New Jersey, despite the media the major league baseball teams lack of interest in helping them succeed.
The Naut Stats with 17 games to go, before the playoffs:
