USA Softball records 100th win in World Championship play - ISF women

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 8/30/06 7:45:09 AM 
From:  "Holly Krivokapich" <hollyk(at)softball.org> 


Subject:  USA Softball records 100th win in World Championship
play  

  




USA Softball records 100th winin World Championship play

 

Beijing, China---It took only five inningsfor the USA Softball
Women’s National Team to record its 100thwin in World Championship
play as they defeated Great Britain, 7-0, to remainunbeaten.
The U.S. recordedits first win on February 14, 1965 in MelbourneAustralia
with a 1-0 winover New Zealand who happensto be the next opponent
for the U.S.in this World Championship.

 

Jamie Southern (Clovis, Calif.), makingher first career start
in a World Championship, was dominate in the circlefanning nine
while allowing only one hit in five innings of work. She had
ano-hitter through 4 2/3 innings before allowing a bloop single
in the finalinning.

 

Despite being beat 14-0 by the U.S. last month at the II World
Cup of Softballin Oklahoma City, Great Britain was not intimidatedin
the slightest. For the first two innings they held the U.S. hitless
but in the thirdthings began to change.

 

Jenny Topping (WhittierCalif.) led off the inning with a stand
updouble to right center and Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz.moved
her to third with a single through the left side. Laura Berg
(Santa Fe Springs, Calif.then caused havoc with the Great Britain
defense as she hit a hard grounderthat was misplayed by the shortstop
who then threw home in an attempt to gundown Topping but was
too late. Flowers continued to third and scored when thethrow
from the catcher went into left field allowing Berg to advance
to third.

 

With a 2-0 lead the U.S. continued its offensive attack as CaitlinLowe
(Tustin, Calif.)  lined a shot back up the middlethat was too
hot for pitcher Heather Brown to handle. With Lowe running on
thenext pitch, Natasha Watley (Irvine Calif.) laced a line drive
thatwas knocked down by the second baseman to freeze Berg at
third. A base runningmiscue by Lowe, who continued to third,
ended in a run down and resulted in thefirst out of the inning.
Just when it appeared the momentum had been brokenJessica Mendoza
(Camarillo, Calif.) stepped to the plate and launched hersecond
home run of the tournament to give the U.S. a 5-0 lead.

 

Looking to push the game a full seveninnings, Great Britaincalled
on Townsend to shut down the U.S. lineup but a two out rallyprovided
the Red, White and Blue with the runs it would need to end the
game infive innings. Lowe and Watley both reached on singles
and Mendoza reached on awalk to load the bases for Crystl Bustos
(Canyon Country, Calif.) who came through with a single toright
field that scored the final two runs of the game.

 

The U.S.will look to continue its unbeaten streak in pool play
on Wednesday when itfaces off with New Zealandtonight at 9:30
p.m. CT. 

 

*Great Britain’s Heather Brown did something no otherpitcher
has been able to accomplish against the USAduring the 2006 World
Championships – she retired the U.S. in order in the first twoinnings.


 

*The USA’s only other meeting withGreat Britain in an ISF World
Championship came during the 1994 ISF WorldChampionships in St.
John’s, Newfoundland, Canada – the U.S. wonthe game 14-0 in five
innings.

 

*The USA Softball Women’s NationalTeam has now started the past
nine ISF Women’s World Championships with a4-0 record dating
back to the 1974 ISF World Championships in Stratford, Conn.During
that span, 34 of the 36 wins have been by shutout.

 

*Laura Berg ended her seven game hittingstreak in international
competition, going 0-1 against Great Britain – the streak began
on July15 during the II World Cup of Softball against Australia.

 

* Jessica Mendoza, with her three-runhomerun, has now recorded
at least one hit in 17-of-20 games this year.

 

Complete coverage of the USA SoftballWomen’s National Team at
the XI ISF World Championships including photogalleries, player
journals, box scores, live scoring, etc., can be found on USA’sofficial
website – www.usasoftball.com. 

 

 

Holly Krivokapich

Assistant Director of Communications

ASA/USA Softball

405-425-3431

www.asasoftball.comwww.usasoftball.com 

 

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