[Alsfastball] USA routs Australia in 10-0 shutout

[Al Doran]

ForImmediate Release: 8/15/04

 

USA routs Australia in 10-0 shutout

 

Athens, GREECE – One of the most storied rivalries in Olympicsoftball
history, it was all Red, White and Blue on Sunday evening in
Athens, Greecewhere Team USA dominated the Australians in a 10-0five-inning
shutout victory.  Tossing a one-hitter from the circle,softball
legend Lisa Fernandez (Long Beach, CA) and thesolid defense behind
her led the team to victory.

 

“Thisgame (vs. Australia) is always on my calendar,” Lisa Fernandez
commented in a post game pressconference. I have a tremendous
history with Australia as well as my fellow teammates (Leah,
Laura and Lori)who have been here since 1996.   But that is what
you play the gamefor, rivalry.  That is what makes us continue
to play this game.”


The U.S. offense came out strong once again putting two runson
board in the first inning. Natasha Watley (Irvine, CA) led offwith
a walk and used her speed to swipe second base. A walk to Bustos
followedby a double-steal put two runners in scoring position
for U.S. pitcher Lisa Fernandez (Long Beach CA).  Fernandez,
who was on the losingend of the round-robin games against Australia
in 1996 and 2000, helped hercause with a double to right center
to give the U.S. an early 2-0 lead.

 

Inthe previous two Olympic Games, Fernandez dropped a 2-1 10
inning decision in1996 and a 2-1 13 inning game in 2000. In the
two games she had a combined 38 strikeoutsand allowed only three
hits in 23 innings of work.

 

StartingAustralian pitcher Brooke Wilkins struggled early finding
the strike zonebefore the Aussies called up right-handed pitcher
Melanie Roche.  Rochewas strong early on through the U.S. line-up
retiring the first nine U.S. hitters she faced but the tides
changed in the bottomof the fourth when the U.S. exploded for
eight runs on seven hits.

 

U.S. right fielder Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, FL)
led the efforts in the fourth when she contributed a line drivedouble
through the right side before Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, CA)
was victim to a hit by pitch.  A blooper toleft field from two-time
Olympian Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, CA) thenloaded the bases
bringing the top of the order to the plate with one out. Taking
the 3-0 lead, it was Watley again who fueled the U.S. team with
her speed and an infield RBI single toshortstop.  

 

Withone out, the U.S. continued to increase its lead as LeahO’Brien-Amico
(Chino Hills, CA) drove in two runs with her first hit of the
2004Games.  The bats kept on as Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country,
CA) andFernandez each added RBI singles while slugger Stacey
Nuveman (La Verne, CA)bolted a three-run home run to dead center
for a 10-0 advantage.

 

Thevictory marks the 12th shutout in 21 Olympic competitions
for Team USA since its first appearance in Atlanta in 1996. 
In addition, it was the 72ndconsecutive win for the USA Softball
Women’s National Team dating back tothe summer of 2003.

 

TheU.S. will take the field of competition onMonday against 2000
Olympic silver medalist and 2002 World silver medalist  Japan
at 12 noon. A one run decision in its last seven meetings, the
U.S. defeated Japan 2-1 in eight innings of the gold medal game
of the 2000Olympics.  

 

Notes:

BLAST FROM THE PAST:  The last time the USA Softball Olympic
team scoreddouble digit runs in Olympic competition came in its
first appearance ever inOlympic competition.  

 

OH MERCY:  Coming into the 2004 Olympic Games, the U.S. had posted
only two mercy-rule victories in its pasttwo Olympic appearances.
 The first two came in the first two games of the1996 Olympic
Games in Columbus, GA (USA 10 Puerto Rico 0 and USA 9 and Netherlands
0).

 

 

 

Brian McCall

Director of Communications

ASA/USA Softball

405-425-3463

bmccall at softball.org

www.asasoftball.comor www.usasoftball.com

 


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