USA Softball wins Japan Cup with 7-0 win over Japan

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 11/19/06 1:15:07 PM 
From:  "Brian McCall" <bmccall(at)softball.org> 

  
Subject:  USA Softball wins Japan Cup with 7-0 win over Japan
 
    

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USA Softball wins Japan Cup with 7-0 win over Japan

 

Yokohama, Japan---On a cold and rainy afternoon atYokohama Stadium,
the USA Softball Women’s National Team completed theirperfect
season with a 7-0 win over Japan in the finals of the JapanCup
to secure their third tournament title of the year. In 2006 the
U.S. captured titles at the II World Cup ofSoftball in Oklahoma
City, the ISF Women’sWorld Championship in Beijing China and
nowthe Japan Cup.

 

Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) was dominating in the circle
for the U.S.allowing only two hits while striking out five in
five inning of work. The win wasthe second of the Japan Cup for
the senior from the Universityof Tennessee and her first over
Japan

 

The U.S.jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first
inning. Natasha Watley(Irvine, Calif.led off with a single and
Jessica Mendoza (CamarilloCalif.followed with a single to put
Watley on second base. A double by Jenny Topping(Whittier, Calif.)
scored Watley for a 1-0 lead. KellyKretschman (Indian Harbour
Beach, Fla.) and Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.both came through
with RBI singles to push the lead to 3-0.

 

In the second inning it was Watley and Mendoza reaching base
once again but thistime it was due to being hit by a pitch. Crystl
Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif.) singled in Watley and Kretschman
singled in Mendoza for a 5-0advantage.

 

Japanstarter Yuko Endo was pulled in the middle of the second
inning in favor of MarikoMasubuchi who was able to end the rally
and hold the U.S. scoreless until the fifthinning. In the fifth
the U.S.got its offense back on track and was able to score the
runs it needed to endthe game in five innings.

 

Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz.) reached on a walk and moved into
scoring positionwhen Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs Calif.) singled.
A single byWatley loaded the bases and a single by Mendozaplated
Flowers and Berg for a 7-0 lead.

 

Abbott retired the side in the bottom of the fifth inning to
end thegame due to the international run-rule. 

 

Watley, Mendoza, Kretschman and Berg were all clutch at the plate
going2-for-3.

 

Bustos was named as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player while
Mendoza won the “BestHitter Award”.

 

 

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