USA National Team goes extra innings for 2-0 win - Women

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Received: 7/30/06 12:47:07 AM 
From:  "Holly Krivokapich" <hollyk(at)softball.org> 

   
Subject:  USA National Team goes extra innings for 2-0 win  

  

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USA National Team goesextra innings for 2-0 win

 

HOUSTON Texas – The USAWomen’s National softball team battled
through eight innings against theNPF Texas Thunder before beating
them 2-0 after previously handing them a 9-2loss in today’s games.
The team will wrap up the series tomorrow at 1p.m. in its final
exhibition series before heading to Beijing, Chinafor the ISF
World Championships. 

 

Caitlin Lowe (Tustin Calif.) singled to lead off thegame and
advanced to second on a Thunder error. Natasha Watley (Irvine,
Calif.singled to left center scoring Lowe for the first run of
the game. JessicaMendoza (Camarillo, Calif.) hit a single to
center field and herattempted steal at second allowed Watley
to score giving Team USA an early 2-0lead. 

 

The team put up two more runs in the second with Vicky Galindo
(UnionCity, Calif. ) earning a walk and scoring off a bunt by
Watley. Lowe scored hersecond run of the game off a sacrifice
fly by Mendoza to edge the lead to 4-0. 

 

Jamie Southern (Clovis, Calif.) was thestarting pitcher for Team
USAand allowed no runs on the board until the third when three
USA errors would put two runs upfor the Thunder. Texas’Lindsay
Gardner reached first on an error by catcher Jenny Topping with
KristenZaleski scoring on the error. Kim Nesloney scored the
next run when Toppingattempted to throw her out at third but
sent the ball into the outfield allowingNesloney to score cutting
the U.S.lead to 4-2. 

 

The team put up three straight singles in the fourth off the
bats ofLaura Berg (Santa Fe, Springs, Calif.) Lowe and Watley
for two runs. Withher second sacrifice fly of the game, Mendozascored
Berg and the other run would come off a fielders choice by Andrea
Duran(Selma, Calif.on which Lowe took advantage of with a slide
into home. 

 

Amanda Freed (Cypress Calif.) came in during the fifthrelieving
Southern and striking out all three batters faced in the fifth.Southern
finished the game with the win, five strikeouts and allowed only
twohits.  

 

Three runs were scored in the sixth including the only extra
base hitof the game. Lowe led off with a single and was followed
with a single byWatley. Both Watley and Lowe were 4-4 in game
one with Lowe scoring every time shegot on base and Watley putting
up two runs. Mendoza took a pitch over center field for athree-run
homerun, her fifth homerun of the season and the only extra base
hitof the game.  

 

Freed gave up one hit in the seventh but allowed no runs and
securedthe 9-2 victory. 

 

It was a battle of the Olympic medalists in the circle with two-timegold
medalist Christa Williams starting for the Thunder and 2004 medalistJennie
Finch getting her first start of the season for the red, white
and blue,less than three months out of having her first child.


 

Stacey Nuveman (La Verne Calif.) was the first to reachbase with
a walk in the second but no hits were recorded until the fourth
when Watleyhit a single down the left field line. Jennie Finch
(La Mirada, Calif.came out just as strong striking out eight
batters and giving up only two hitsthrough four innings. 

 

Lowe laid down a bunt in the sixth to get a runner on with no
outs. Shestole second and took advantage of an error by catcher
Denise Dahlberg to takethird. Mendoza reachedon a fielder’s choice
but Lowe was tagged out at home. Nuveman reachedagain in the
sixth off a single to left field advancing Mendoza into scoring
position at second but astrikeout by Duran halted any scoring
efforts.

 

Finch was relieved by Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.after a stellar
5 2/3 innings allowing only four hits and striking out 12 forher
first win of the season. Abbott secured the third out of the
sixth, threein the seventh and with no USAruns scored, the game
went into extra innings. 

 

Lowe and Watley singled in the eighth and Nuveman loaded the
bases withher second walk of the day. After stranding two on
base with a strikeout in thesixth, Duran redeemed herself with
a single down the right field line for tworuns to give the USthe
only lead of the game, 2-0. Abbott struck out one and groundouts
to firstand second gave the U.S.the 2-0 win.

 

The series will conclude tomorrow at 1:00. Live stats and completeresults
can be found at www.usasoftball.com. 

 

Holly Krivokapich

Assistant Director of Communications

ASA/USA Softball

405-425-3431

www.asasoftball.comwww.usasoftball.com 

 

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