[Alsfastball] Fernandez overpowers Greece with 7-0 run-rule victory

[Al Doran]

Subject: USA SOFTBALL-Fernandez overpowers Greece with 7-0 run-rule
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 10:49:53 -0500
From: "Brian McCall" <bmccall at softball.org>



For Immediate Release: 8/19/04

Fernandez overpowers Greece with 7-0 run-rule victory

Athens, GREECE – Two-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Fernandez (Long Beach, 
CA) utilized her skills on both sides of the field today as she led the 
U.S. to its fourth run-rule victory with a 7-0 win against host 
Greece.  Going 2-for-2 from the plate with an RBI, as well as, a one-hit 
performance from the circle, Fernandez totaled five strikeouts to move Team 
USA to 6-0 in competition which secures a spot in the medal round.  The 
U.S. has yet to allow a run in Olympic competition and is holding opponents 
to a mere .070 batting average.  Outscoring its opponents 38-0, five of the 
six games have been one hit performances while at the plate the U.S. is 
hitting .348 as a team.

“Today was a great outing for us,” Fernandez said. “We really stepped it up 
on so many levels.  We have to keep steady throughout this process and just 
take each game one at a time.”

The loudest crowd of the tournament with chants of ‘HELLAS’ and ‘USA’ 
throughout the stadium, the game remained scoreless through the first two 
innings before the U.S. turned the tide.  The bat of U.S. veteran Fernandez 
came alive to take the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.  Helping 
her cause from the circle, the 5’6” legend connected on a two out RBI 
single through the left side to score Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, CA) who 
reached on a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Natasha 
Watley (Irvine, CA).

A Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, CA) stand-up double to right center gave the 
U.S. its second run of the game scoring Lovieanne Jung (Fountain Valley, 
CA), who earlier reached base on a walk.  The U.S. bats then opened the 
lead to 4-0 after a base hit from Berg, who finished the game going 
2-for-2, put two runners on board.  Watley advanced on a fielder’s choice 
before a chopping base hit up the middle from Leah O’Brien Amico (Chino 
Hills, CA) plated Berg and Watley for the solid lead.

The U.S. offense continued to punish the Greeks with three more runs in the 
fifth to conclude the run-rule victory.  A lead-off walk to Fernandez put 
the first runner on before Stacey Nuveman (La Verne, CA) singled down the 
leftfield line.  Another base on balls to Jung loaded the bases when a wild 
pitch scored pinch-runner Amanda Freed (Cypress, CA).   An RBI ground from 
Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, FL) added the sixth run before a 
Mendoza single through the right side brought the seventh run across home 
plate.

Fernandez, Berg and Mendoza each contributed two hits in the game while 
Amico and Mendoza tallied two RBI a piece.

The U.S. wraps up round-robin play on Friday, August 20 against Chinese 
Taipei at 12 noon.  Cat Osterman, who stifled Japan in game three with 11 
strikeouts, get her second start of the 2004 Olympic Games. At 6-0, the 
U.S. will enter the playoff bracket at either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed on 
Saturday morning and are now guaranteed a medal at these games.

“We know the tradition of USA Softball and came to Athens to win gold,” 
said Mendoza. “Anything less would be a huge disappointment and 
unacceptable for the standards set for us by the pioneers of our sport.”



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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