Team USA completes sweep of Texas Thunder - women

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Received: 7/30/06 5:41:53 PM 
From:  "Holly Krivokapich" <hollyk(at)softball.org> 

 
Subject:  Team USA completes sweep of Texas Thunder   

  



Team USA completes sweep of Texas Thunder 

 

HOUSTON, Texas – It was a battle of the Olympians as both theTexas
Thunder’s Christa Williams and the USA’s Cat Osterman(Houston,
Texas) went four extra innings before Stacey Nuveman (La Verne,Calif.)
hit an infield single to give the USA Women’s National Softballteam
a 2-1 win. Osterman threw six complete innings with eight strikeouts
whileNuveman drove in both of the day’s runs. 

 

The Thunder wasted no time putting runners on with leadoff batterKristen
Zaleski soaring a triple to right center field in the first inning.
Shescored the first run for the Thunder in more than 12 innings
of the series, offa sacrifice fly by Clare Burnum. Danyele Gomez
singled to put one on with oneout but a fly out to left field
and a diving snag by Lovie Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif.) for
an out at second kept the score at 1-0. 

 

Team USA evened thescored in the third when Natasha Watley (Irvine
Calif.) reached first on a singleadvancing to second on an error
by pitcher Serena Settlemier. Watley led the teamin the four
game exhibition series hitting .533 with four runs and a team-tyinghigh
eight hits. A ground out by Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.advanced
Watley to third, who would score off a sacrifice fly by Nuveman.

 

After giving up two hits in the first Alicia Hollowell (Suisun,
Calif.found her zone and allowed no runners on the base paths
innings two throughfive. Hollowell threw five complete innings
with two strikeouts. Cat Osterman (Houston, Texascame in at the
top of the sixth, striking out all batters faced in the sixth.


 

The Thunder responded with their ringor from the circle with
two-timeOlympian Christa Williams in the seventh. The pitchers
battled back and forth andbacked by defenses neither team allowed
runners on the base baths innings seventhrough nine, sending
the game into International tie breaker play at the startof the
10th. 

 

The Thunder threatened in the 10th when Gomez, placed onsecond
due to International tie breaker rules, reached third when Rocky
Spencergrounded out to pitcher. Osterman struck out Lindsay Gardner
and intentionally walkedRider to put runners at first and third
with two outs. A groundout to AndreaDuran (Selma, Calif.) sent
the game into the 11thinning. 

 

The USentered the 11th inning in the heart of their line up with
Lowe atsecond and Watley at the plate. Watley grounded out to
third with Lowe at third.Nuveman came up for a long at bat, fouling
off ball after ball, including one toright field that fell just
right of fair territory. The long at bat was wellworth it when
she hit an infield single to shortstop that would score Lowe.


 

The Texas Thunder was not going to give up as Denise Dahlberg,
placedon second, stole third base but two Osterman strikeouts
and a fly out gave thered, white an blue a 2-1 victory. Osterman
secured her fifth win of the seasonwith six innings pitched and
eight strikeouts.   

 

The USA will nextcompete in the ISF World Championships in Beijing
China, Aug. 27-Sept. 5. Complete coverage of this event can be
found at www.usasoftball. 

 
Holly Krivokapich
Assistant Director of Communications
ASA/USA Softball
405-425-3431
www.asasoftball.comwww.usasoftball.com 
hollyk(at)softball.org



 

 

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