Home runs highlight the day as USA Softball Women’s Teams remain undefeated at World Cup of Softball XI

July 6, 2016

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OKLAHOMA CITY –  The Fourth of July may have passed, but the fireworks show continued on at historic ASA Hall of Fame Complex – OGE Energy Field – INTEGRIS Field as the USA Softball Slow Pitch National team kept the Border Battle trophy after a 27-8 (five innings) win over Canada in Border Battle VIII.  On the day, the USA Softball Slow Pitch National Team went 2-0, while the USA Softball Men’s Futures Slow Pitch National Team suffered a 30-27 loss in their sole game of the day.  It was a great day all around for the Red, White and Blue, as home runs highlighted the day at the World Cup of Softball XI for the USA Softball Women’s National and Elite Teams.

 

Click here for box scores for all World Cup of Softball XI games

 

Click here for box scores for all Border Battle VIII games

 

USA Elite 17, Mexico 0 (three innings)

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Fueled by a 17-run third inning, the USA Softball Women’s Elite Team remained undefeated at the World Cup of Softball XI after defeating Mexico 17-0 (three innings).  Scoring all 17 runs with two outs, the Elite Team combined for 11 hits while Carley Hoover (Clemson, S.C.) earned her first win after going the distance for the Red, White and Blue. 

 

“The team put on a show today,” said Head Coach Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz.).  “We had good speed, got in some good cuts and took advantage on the base paths.  The team knows and understands that every team we face will be a battle, so I’m proud of how we adjusted after the first couple of innings.”

 

The bats were quiet for both sides through the first two innings as Hoover and Mexico’s Erika Bennett kept both sides off the board.  Allexis Bennett (Corona, Calif.) got the two-out rally going for the U.S., connecting for the first two-run home run of the inning to get the 2-0 lead.  Two batters later, Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.) did the same exact thing with a two-run shot to extend the lead to 4-0.  A single from Sam Fischer (Simi Valley, Calif.) and a walk to Hannah Flippen (Bonita, Calif.) put another two runners on base for the Red, White and Blue. 

 

That prompted a pitching change for Mexico as Diana Castillo entered in relief.  With two outs and two runners on, Mysha Sataraka (Honolulu, Hawaii) doubled to centerfield to plate the two runners before the third two-run shot of the inning from Madilyn Nickles (Merced, Calif.) pushed the U.S. lead to 8-0.  Three more runs would cross the plate for the Elite Team before a three-run blast by Morgan Zerkle (Milton, W. Va.) made it a 14-run game for the U.S.  The final three runs of the inning would come after  a triple from Annie Aldrete (Monterey, Calif.).

 

Needing just three outs to capture the win via run-rule, the Elite Team did just that with three ground outs.  Hoover got the win for the U.S., going the full game with four strikeouts and only two hits allowed.  Mexico’s Bennett suffered the loss, issuing six runs in her two and two-third innings of work.

 

“Our offense came out with a plan to make them play defense,” said Bennett.  “As a team, we dialed in, picked it up and started playing USA Softball.  We have to win every inning to win every game, so at the end of the day we’re going to do whatever it takes and have our pitchers back.”

 

USA 7, Puerto Rico 0 (six innings)

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Team USA took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back as the Eagles soared to a 7-0 (six innings) win over Puerto Rico.  With the help of two home runs via Bianka Bell (Tampa, Fla.) and Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), the U.S. offense came alive in the first and sixth innings while the pitching staff combined for the shutout win.

 

“When your pitching staff doesn’t walk a batter it gives your team a chance to try to keep the other team at zero,” said Head Coach Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla.).  “Puerto Rico can play ball and we had a great first inning.  We got three on the board right away, and had other opportunities through the fifth inning, but just hit the ball right at people.  Delaney took a really nice approach on a two-strike count to seal the game for us.  We didn’t panic and gave ourselves opportunities to be aggressive early in the count.”

 

U.S. starter Delanie Gourley (Lakeside, Calif.) shut the Puerto Rico offense down in the top of the first, retiring three straight batters to bring Team USA to the plate for the first time in the game.  Setting the tone for the inning, Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) led off with a triple to right field and scored on a follow up triple from Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.).  Then, on a 2-0 count, Bell sent the ball over the left field fence to give the U.S. an early 3-0 lead.

 

Puerto Rico would get their first runner on the base paths in the top of the second on a two-out single from Shemiah Sanchez, but a ground out to Spaulding at short stop would end the at-bat with no damage done.  The U.S. got two runners on base in the bottom of the frame, but a pair of strikeouts from relief pitcher Meghan King kept the U.S. from adding to their lead.

 

Both pitchers kept the game moving along through the sixth inning when Puerto Rico got a one out double to left field.  A fly out to Jazmyn Jackson (San Jose, Calif.) and a ground ball back to the pitcher’s circle brought the U.S. back to the plate.  Bell was issued a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth and Janie Takeda (Placentia, Calif.) entered as a pinch runner.  With one out, Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) singled to put runners on first and second.  Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) laid down a sac bunt and an overthrow to first allowed Takeda to score from second.  With two runners on, Spaulding pelted the ball on a 2-2 count over left field to seal the U.S. 7-0 (five inning), walk-off win.

 

“I went out feeling good today,” said Gourley.  “We wanted to attack the zone today, and that’s what we did.  Our offense stepped up today, and it makes our job more fun.  We just need to keep taking it day-by-day, stick to our plan and go attack.” 

 

Border Battle VIII

USA 27, Canada 8 (five innings)

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For the seventh-time since the inaugural Border Battle in 2009, the USA Softball Slow Pitch National Team held up the Border Battle trophy as the team glided to a 27-8 (five innings) win over Canada.  Led by Dale Brungardt (Vancouver, Wash.), who went 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI, the U.S. plated runs in each inning en route to the win.

 

“There’s no greater feeling,” said Team USA veteran Brett Helmer (Cicero, N.Y.) on winning the Border Battle matchup.

 

It was a close ball game through the first inning of play as Canada scored four runs and Team USA responded with five in the bottom of the frame.  The U.S. defense put in work in the top of the second after a leadoff single by Canada.  After a fly ball out to left field, a 6-4-3 double play ended the top of the second with no damage done.  The U.S. offense came alive in the bottom of the second, scoring 14 runs to extend their lead to 19-4.  Highlighting the rally were four home runs, two singles, a double and a bases-loaded walk.

 

Canada pushed across three runs in the top of the third to make it a 19-7 ball game but Team USA’s offense could not be stopped as they tacked on another seven runs.  Thanks in large to two home runs, two singles, a double and a triple, the U.S. headed to the fourth inning with a 26-7 lead.

 

Canada hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth and the U.S. would respond with a solo shot by Brungardt in the bottom of the fourth.  Leading 27-8 in the top of the fifth, Team USA turned a double play for the first two outs of the inning and a fly out to right field gave the U.S. the 27-8, run-rule victory.

 

Notable July 6 performances

 

Canada 9, Netherlands 1 (five innings)

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Canada defeated the Netherlands 9-1 (five innings) after an eight-run explosion in the fourth inning.

 

Joey Lye went 2-for-2 for Canada, recording two RBI, while Jenn Salling had three RBI.  For the pitching staff, Sara Groenewegen went two and one-third innings in the circle, issuing one strikeout and two hits while Lauren Regula issued two strikeouts in her one inning of work.  Eva Voortman suffered the loss for the Netherlands.

 

Japan 8, Czech Republic 0 (five innings)

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Japan hit three home runs in their 8-0 (five innings) win over the Czech Republic in their opening game of the World Cup of Softball XI.  Home runs for Japan came when Yamato Fujita homered in the second inning, Yuka Yamamoto homered in the fifth inning, and Manami Daikuya homered in the fifth inning.  Yamamoto racked up two RBI on two hits for Japan, singling in the second inning and homering in the fifth inning.

 

Yukari Hamamura pitched lights out for Japan, holding the Czech Republic hitless over three innings and striking out six.

 

Great tickets are still available for the World Cup of Softball XI, and can be purchased outside the ASA Hall of Fame Complex at the Ticket Booth. For complete coverage of Border Battle VIII and the World Cup of Softball XI including bios, rosters, live stats, streaming and results log on to ASAUSASoftball.com.

 

About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/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 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.2 million.  ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com/.

 

About the World Baseball Softball Confederation 

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland -- the Olympic Capital -- the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for baseball and softball. WBSC has 213 National Federation and Associate Members in 142 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania, which represent a united baseball/softball sports movement that encompasses over 65 million athletes and attracts approximately 150 million fans to stadiums worldwide annually. 

 

The WBSC also governs all international competitions involving official National Teams. The WBSC oversees the Softball World Championships (Men, Women, U-19 Men, and U-19 Women), Premier12, World Baseball Classic, and Baseball World Cups (U-12, U-15, U-18, U-23 and Women's).

 

For further information, please go to www.WBSC.org or follow the WBSC on Twitter at @WBSC.

 

 

Codi Warren I Managing Director of Communications

Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball

2801 NE 50th Street

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111
405-425-3431 (O)

Visit Us Online: ASAUSASoftball.com

 

The world’s best return to OKC July 4-10!

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