GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The USA Softball Women’s National team continued to shut down its opposition at the Pan American games with a 10-0 decisive victory in four innings over Dominican Republic on Tuesday afternoon. Winning pitcher Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa) recorded a solid performance from circle for the Red, White and Blue tossing four complete innings with seven strikeouts and allowing just two hits. The U.S. moves to 2-0 in round-robin play and will return to the Pan American Softball Stadium this evening for match up with host country Mexico. Game time is approximately 8:30 p.m.
Stacy May-Johnson (click for bio)
From the plate the U.S. recorded 10 runs on five hits and was led by Stacy May-Johnson (Reno, Nev.) who was 2-for-3 with four RBI. Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) was right behind with three RBI and a 2-for-2 outing with two runs scored. Michelle Moultrie (click for bio) “I think the door was open early for us and we took advantage of it scoring six runs in the first,” said May-Johnson. “We jumped on that opportunity and it helped us set the tone defensively too. Every time we step on this field we want to come away with a win and getting ahead early really helped us.”
To lead the first inning, speedster Moultrie beat out a base hit bunt for a single, then advanced to second on a passed ball and stole third all within the first seven pitches of the first inning. Kelly Grieve (Asheville, N.C.) then earned a base on balls before May-Johnson connected on a triple to right center giving the U.S. a 2-0 lead scoring Moultrie and Grieve.
May-Johnson later scored in the inning for the third U.S. run on a passed ball that was Valerie Arioto’s (Pleasanton, Calif.) ball No. 4 of her at bat. Designated Player Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) then was also issued a base on balls to load the bags for Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md.) who was hit by a pitch that scored the fourth run. Two more runs were added as the line up batted around and Moultrie drove in a two-RBI double for the 6-0 lead in the first.
With two outs, Dominican saw its first runner reach base in the bottom of the second when a wild Thomas pitch hit batter Rosaury Perez. Another wild pitch advanced pinch runner Kenia Benzant into scoring position but Thomas settled down striking out the final out, her fourth strikeout in seven batters faced.
Arioto led the top of third inning reaching base after being hit in the ankle on a pitch from new Dominican pitcher Dhariana Furcal. U.S. catcher Meagan May (Spring, Texas) then dropped a blooper base hit up the middle advancing Arioto to third. With one out, Gibson then loaded the bases after being hit in the back, recording the third hit-by-pitch for Team USA. Moultrie earned a walk to give the U.S. a 7-0 lead with one out and the bases loaded. An eighth run was walked in by pitcher Furcal before two more runs were scored thanks to a May-Johnson double to centerfield for the 10-0 advantage.
The U.S. bats were quiet in the fourth inning while the Dominican team did see a runner reach second base in the bottom of the inning. Furcal singled to the infield and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Thomas closed out the victory with a strikeout to end the game.
Live stats for all USA games will be available via http://www.usasoftball.com/. Click on the events page for Pan American Games and then proceed to the schedule tab.
Click logo for official press release.USA cruises past Mexico in 7-0 run-rule victory
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — In front of packed stadium, the USA Softball Women’s National team earned its third victory of the 2011 Pan American Games over host country Mexico in a 7-0 decision. Scoring in four of the five innings, it was a team effort as six players inked hits in the contest with Christi Orgeron (New Orleans, La.) leading the way going 3-for-3 with a double, triple and walk-off home run to close the game. Christi Orgeron (click for bio) “I had a good talk with Coach Eriksen before the game just about hitting,” said Orgeron. “He told me just to stay calm and go out there and just hit. When you have excellent hitters hitting all around you it kind of takes the pressure off yourself to always have that big hit mindset. At any moment anybody on this team can have success and takes a little less pressure off you when you get up having approach.”
Through three games played the U.S. has allowed no runs in 13 innings played and outscored its opponents 27-0. With a 3-0 record in pool play, the team moved its overall Pan American Games record to 81-3 since softball’s debut in the games in 1979.
“We are just trying to keep taking care of the little things,” said head coach Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla.). “We had some great bunts in the first inning tonight and had a lot of people on base. We are just trying to play good softball and execute, get the ball and play the basics of the game. Our pitching right now is giving us a great opportunity because when you are putting a lot of zeros on the board your hitters feel pretty comfortable. So all in all we are continuing to move in the right direction.”
From the circle, pitcher Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) recorded the win allowing one hit with six strikeouts in four innings of work. Lefty Whitney Canion (Aledo, Texas) entered in the fifth inning for the USA and tallied two strikeouts in three batters faced.
The U.S. quickly loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first inning and exploded for four runs.
Jenae Leles (Sacramento, Calif) connected on a two RBI single to centerfield to put the first runs on the board scoring Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga.) who reached on an infield single and Kelly Grieve (Asheville, N.C.) who reached on an error. Pitcher Ricketts then helped her cause with an RBI ground out for run No. 3 plating Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md.) who recorded a single. Orgeron then drove her first at bat of the Pan American Games to left field for a triple scoring Leles for a comfortable 4-0 lead.
With two outs, Taylor Hoagland (Flower Mound, Texas) scored the fifth U.S. run in the second inning on a fielding error from Mexican second baseman Diana Castillo. Hoagland reached on a base hit earlier in the inning and stole both second and third base before scoring.
The hometown crowd was brought to its feet in the top of the third inning when Ma. Luisa Hernandez contributed a one-out base hit to left center to jump start the Mexican team. But the arm of Ricketts held strong retiring the next two batters via the strikeout to close the half inning.
With one out in the third, Ricketts contributed a base hit on the score sheet to keep the offense alive before Orgeron put together a double to right field putting two runners in scoring position. Ashley Holcombe (Fayetteville, Ga.) then blasted the ball to centerfield for a sacrifice flyout and the 6-0 cushion. Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.) scored on the play after entering as a pinch runner for Ricketts.
The seventh and final run for the home team came in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the fifth inning. With two outs, the hot bat of Orgeron sent a towering solo home run to right field for a walk-off run-rule 7-0 victory.
R. Taylor ended the contest going 2-for-3 and Leles added two RBI.
It’s another double day in round-robin play for Team USA on Wednesday (October 19) with a 1 p.m. match up against Cuba and a 4 p.m. game versus Puerto Rico.
Live stats for all USA games will be available via http://www.usasoftball.com/. Click on the events page for Pan American Games and then proceed to the schedule tab.
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