[Alsfastball] USA Softball rolls to 46th consecutive win on "Aiming for Athens' tour

[Al Doran]

Subject: USA Softball rolls to 46th consecutive win on "Aiming for Athens' 
tour
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 00:27:40 -0500
From: "Brian McCall" <bmccall at softball.org>




USA Softball rolls to 46th consecutive win on "Aiming for Athens' tour


Topeka, KS---The USA Softball Women's National Team used an explosive 
fourth inning to defeat Texas Elite 11-0 in five innings tonight on the 
22nd stop of the "Aiming for Athens' tour.  With a crowd of 2,100 on hand, 
the U.S. plated six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to break open 
the game and collect its 160th consecutive victory in pre-Olympic tour 
competition.

After allowing a single in the first inning, U.S. pitcher Lisa Fernandez 
(Houston, TX) was in total control fanning seven in five innings of work. 
With the win she improved to 12-0 on the 'Aiming for Athens' tour. In 77 
2/3 innings of work on the tour she has allowed only two earned runs, 
fanning a total of 115 while walking only five.

Two extra base hits in the second were responsible for the opening run of 
the game. With two outs, Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, FL) 
doubled to left center and scored on a triple by Jessica Mendoza 
(Camarillo, CA).

Back-to-back walks to Lovieanne Jung (Westminster, CA) and Kretschman got 
the U.S. rally rolling in the fourth.  Mendoza drove in her second and 
third RBI of the game with a double to right center to extend the U.S. lead 
to 3-0. A single by Leah O'Brien-Amico drove in two runs and a single by 
Crystl Bustos plated another in the inning.

The game was called in the bottom of the fifth inning due to the mercy 
rule. Mendoza led off with a double and scored on a double by Amanda Freed 
(Cypress, CA). Natasha Watley (Irvine, CA) singled up the middle to score 
Freed and Bustos launched a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence for the 
walk off victory.

2003 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team member Meagan Denny of 
Crawley, TX held the powerful U.S. bats in check for three innings before 
being tagged for six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Prior to the 
fourth, Denny allowed only one run on three hits. Samantha Buckner was the 
lone Elite player to collect a hit against Fernandez.

Bustos (Canyon Country, CA) continues to top the U.S. charts in batting 
average (.528), hits (75), doubles (17), home runs (21), RBI (84) and 
slugging percentage (1.134). Kretschman is second in hitting with a .500 
batting average, nine doubles, five home runs and 8 RBI.

The 'Aiming for Athens' tour wraps up its tour of Texas on Saturday in Ft. 
Worth before heading to Oklahoma City for three days.



Brian McCall
Director of Communications
ASA/USA Softball
405-425-3463
<mailto:bmccall at softball.org>bmccall at softball.org
www.asasoftball.com or www.usasoftball.com


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