<html><head></head><body lang="en-US" link="blue" vlink="purple" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: initial;"> <div style="width: 100%; font-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br style="display:initial"></div> <div style="width: 100%; font-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br style="display:initial"></div> <div style="font-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, 'Slate Pro', sans-serif, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.</div> <table width="100%" style="background-color:white;border-spacing:0px;"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: initial; text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: rgb(181, 196, 223); border-top-width: 1pt; padding: 3pt 0in 0in; font-family: Tahoma, 'BB Alpha Sans', 'Slate Pro'; font-size: 10pt;"> <div><b>From: </b>Codi Warren <cwarren@usasoftball.com></div><div><b>Sent: </b>Monday, August 7, 2017 11:37 PM</div><div><b>To: </b>Codi Warren</div><div><b>Subject: </b>Seven hits and seven runs equals a Team USA win over Dominican Republic</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: rgb(186, 188, 209); border-top-width: 1pt; font-size: initial; text-align: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><br><div id="_originalContent" style=""><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">August 7, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">Seven hits and seven runs equals a Team USA win over Dominican Republic<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — In front of packed stadium, the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) earned its fourth run rule victory of the Pan American Championship with a 7-0 (five innings) win over host country Dominican Republic. Scoring in four of the five innings, six of Team USA’s batters recorded a base hit in the contest while Jessica Moore (Sutter, Calif.) and Kelly Barnhill (Marietta, Ga.) teamed up for a one-hitter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">“It’s really the first time this year that our team has played in an environment like that,” said Head Coach Ken Eriksen. “Tonight was a tremendous crowd that was all pro-Dominican and I thought our team did really well. Haylie McCleney has been doing an incredible job for us at the top of the lineup and Kelsey Stewart moves people to set it up for the big hitters. Jess and Kelly were spot on. One hit in five innings and averaging about 13 pitches per inning, I’m pretty happy right now with the way we’re playing.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><a href="https://gc.com/game-5983915aebdbaa001f39b6b1/stats">Click here for a box score</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">The U.S. quickly put runners on base after Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) was issued a leadoff walk and Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) was hit by a pitch. A sac bunt from Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) advanced the runners a bag before an intentional walk to Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.) loaded the bases. A walk to Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) pushed across the first U.S. run of the inning, followed by a single from Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.) to plate the second run of the at-bat to give Team USA an early 2-0 lead. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">That score held until the top of the third inning when Team USA added another run to the score. Arioto singled with one out and would come around to score after a triple from Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) that almost left the ballpark. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">Four additional runs in the top of the fourth inning gave the U.S. a comfortable lead. Janie Takeda (Placentia, Calif.) started the charge after reaching on an error by the shortstop and advancing to third after McCleney reached on a bunt single. A sac fly from Stewart plated Takeda, leaving one runner on base for Chidester, who sent the ball flying over the center field fence to make it a six run lead. Arioto was then issued her second walk of the game, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored after an error by the second baseman.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">Leading by seven, Barnhill entered in relief for Moore, who threw four flawless innings in which she issued three strikeouts, one walk and allowed just one hit. Barnhill picked up right where Moore left off, recording a strikeout and two pop fly outs to give the U.S. the 7-0, five inning win. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">McCleney paced the U.S. offense, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Chidester collected two RBI with one home run and one walk. Moore got the win in the circle, her second of the Pan American Championship.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif"">Team USA now readies for Venezuela for a 2 p.m. ET matchup tomorrow afternoon. Fans can watch Team USA throughout the tournament with live streaming through<a href="https://www.internetv.tv/#Softbol"><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span>InternetTV</a> for an $11.95 (USD) subscription. Live stats will also be available for fans to follow along through <a href="http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Events/2017/August/04/Womens-Pan-American-Championship-Qualifier">USASoftball.com</a>. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:black">About USA Softball<br></span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:black">USA Softball is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 150,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2 million. USA Softball is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USA Softball annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USA Softball umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:black">As the NGB for the sport of softball, USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USA Softball, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.USASoftball.com&d=DwMFAg&c=7ypwAowFJ8v-mw8AB-SdSueVQgSDL4HiiSaLK01W8HA&r=cm8_WM3btABXTCY67UDGqA&m=CcbThcSrZ0qGj2_IWnFHio-qx1dW5mfgmLUBjPXtj5M&s=DLpEEBrnwOwfS_2jxSieQcVn0jg4VeXM8OMMVMjNBjs&e=" target="_blank"><span style="color:black;text-decoration:none">www.USASoftball.com</span></a>.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666"><img border="0" width="150" height="82" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D30FD5.5A8EB930" alt="cid:image001.png@01D2B2E2.3B7F57C0"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666">Codi Warren I Managing Director of Communications</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666">USA Softball</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666">2801 NE 50th Street</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666">Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111<br>405-425-3431 (O)</span><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666">Visit Us Online:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666"> </span><a href="http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue">USASoftball.com</span></a><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:#666666"><br>Follow along with USA Softball National Championships across the country!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:#666666"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:#666666">Find a list of </span></b><a href="http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Play-USA-Softball/National-Championships-and-Qualifiers/2017-USA-Softball-National-Championships"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:blue">2017 #USASoftball National Championships</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:#666666"> today!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><br><!--end of _originalContent --></div></body></html>