FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 24, 2017

 

USA Softball Women’s National Team defeats Japan 5-4 to even the USA vs Japan All-Star Series

 

Sendai, Japan  —  After Japan earned the 3-0 shutout win in Game 1, the USA Softball Women’s National Team claimed Game 2 of the USA vs Japan All-Star Series with a 5-4 victory, USA Softball announced today.

 

Click here for live stats, box scores and more from the USA vs Japan All-Star Series

 

“After we played well yesterday, today was a nice reward ‘W’ for our continuing to play decent softball,” said Head Coach Ken Eriksen. “Our pitching staff has battled very well and has gotten the team out of some major trouble. The approaches at the plate are getting smoother and for it being so early in the summer, we need to continue to work hard.”

 

After Japan was retired in order to start off the first inning, Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) helped the U.S. get on board with a two-out solo homerun to center field. That lone run would be the first and only for both teams through four innings of work until Japan scored a run of their own in the top of the fourth frame.

 

Kelly Barnhill (Marietta, Ga.) got the start for the Red, White and Blue, and struck out three while allowing zero runs on one hit and walking one while in the circle during the opening two innings.  Both pitching staffs boasted their depth behind impressive defensive plays which held both teams scoreless through the second, third and fourth frames where Barnhill, Delanie Gourley (Lakeside, Calif.), and Jessica Moore (Sutter, Calif.) worked the circle for Team USA, respectively.

 

Gourley entered the circle to start the third inning and following a pair of groundouts, Japan’s Mana Atsumi was walked and in turn was called out while advancing to second. Still in the third inning, Team USA saw all three of their batters retired in order next as Morgan Zerkle (Milton, W. Va.), Jenna Lilley (North Canton, Ohio) and Ali Aguilar were left off base.

 

In the fourth frame, Japan hit a groundout to third baseman Lilley and a fly out to left fielder Takeda which accounted for the first two outs of the inning. Despite Japan's Mikiko Eguchi reaching first on a single, they were unable to score due to a groundout hit towards shortstop Spaulding, who threw to first for the final out of the inning. The U.S. also saw their fourth inning cut short after Hannah Flippen (San Diego, Calif.), in as a courtesy runner for Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.), was thrown out at second after a ground ball by Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.).

 

Although Japan scored their first run of the game in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Atsumi, the U.S. held them to one run after Japan grounded out on a ball hit towards Spaulding. Team USA went on to extend their lead in the bottom home half by adding four runs to the scoreboard. Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) walked and advanced to second on a sac-bunt by Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.). A single by Zerkle would put baserunners on each corner for the U.S. while a passed ball resulted in Moultrie crossing home plate to make the U.S. lead, 2-1. Aguilar drew a two-out walk before a home run by Janie Takeda would plate an additional three runs for the Red, White and Blue.

 

The score remained 5-1 with the U.S. on top through the sixth, while Japan eyed a chance for a comeback. Japan proceeded to plate their second run of the game after back-to-back hits. With the bases loaded, Eri Yamada hit a single to center field allowing a run to score. Japan closed out the game by adding a total of three runs to the scoreboard, but it was not enough to outlast the Red, White and Blue.

 

Team USA will resume action tomorrow, June 25 at 1:30 p.m. JST (11:30 p.m. CT) when they face Japan for the third and final game of the USA vs Japan All-Star Series at Yokohama Stadium, site of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

 

About USA Softball
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.

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, www.USASoftball.com.

 

Katie Willis I Communications Coordinator

USA Softball

2801 NE 50th Street

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111
405-425-3432 (O)

Visit Us Online: USASoftball.com

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