FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 24, 2017

 

USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team soars to victory in exhibition doubleheader

 

CONCORD, Mass. — The USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team (JWNT) closed out their exhibition schedule with a pair of wins over the Massachusetts/Northeast Region All-Stars in a Saturday doubleheader in Concord, Mass. 

 

“I see lots of speed and a lot of power on this team,” said Head Coach Laura Berg.  “I think we’re doing a really good job in the circle and I’m excited to see how the pitcher’s fare during the World Cup against the older international teams.  We’re doing what we need to at the plate, making adjustments, hitting behind the runners and getting the big hits.  We’re just out there playing catch and taking care of business on the field, which is always good to see.”

 

Game One: USA 11, All-Stars 1 (six innings)

 

Giselle Juarez (Glendale, Ariz.) had a strong day in the circle for the USA Softball JWNT as the southpaw held the Massachusetts/Northeast Region All-Stars to just one hit in her four innings of work.  Striking out three batters and allowing just one walk, Juarez was backed up by a strong U.S. offense which combined for 13 hits in the six-inning win.

 

Scoring early in the top of the first inning after a sac-fly from Bubba Nickles (Merced, Calif.), the Massachusetts/Northeast Region All-Stars would strike back in the bottom of the third to tie up the game at one run apiece.  The JWNT quickly responded, scoring three runs to take the lead in the top of the fourth.  An RBI single from Alyssa Rivera (Eagle Lake, Calif.), an RBI double from Dejah Mulipola (Garden Grove, Calif.) and a sac-fly from Amanda Doyle (Santa Clarita, Calif.) made it a 4-1, U.S. ballgame.

 

That score held through the top of the sixth when the Red, White and Blue opened the game up with 11 runs.  Sis Bates (Ceres, Calif.), Elissa Brown (Eclectic, Ala.), Alissa Dalton (Cypress, Texas) and Nickles each drove in a run in their at-bat before a three-run blast from Baylee Klingler (Houston, Texas) extended Team USA’s lead to 11-1.

 

That score would prove to be enough as the U.S. walked away with the 11-1 (six inning) win.  For the offense, Dalton went 3-for-4 while Klingler picked up three RBI and Nickles collected two RBI.  Natalie Lugo (West Covina, Calif.) pitched the final two frames after entering in relief for Juarez in the fifth inning.  Lugo dished out three strikeouts in her two innings of work, allowing just two hits and one walk.

 

Game Two: USA 9, All-Stars 1 (six innings)

 

In game two of the day, the U.S. pieced together 12 hits en route to a 9-1 (six inning) win over the Massachusetts/Northeast Region All-Stars.  Led by the hot bat of Klingler, the U.S. scored in all but two innings of the contest.

 

Team USA got started early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning after RBI singles from Klingler and Mary Iakopo (Carson, Calif.).  A solo shot from Klingler in the bottom of the third extended the lead until Bethaney Keen (Bradenton, Fla.) singled to left field to plate another two to give Team USA a 5-0 advantage.

 

The Massachusetts/Northeast Region All-Stars scored a run in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to four runs, but the Red, White and Blue pushed across a run in the bottom of the frame after Lou Allan (Hesperia, Calif.) doubled to bring Sydney Sherrill (Moore, Okla.) home.  The game would be put away in the bottom of the sixth after a bases loaded walk to Julia Cottrill (Stillwater, Okla.) and a two-run single from Hannah Adams (Hoschton, Ga.)

 

For Team USA, Klingler was lights out with two RBI in a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.  Sherrill was issued three walks and scored twice, while Adams and Keen also collected two RBI apiece.  In the circle, three U.S. pitchers combined for the win.  Holly Azevedo (San Jose, Calif.) pitched the first three innings of the contest, issuing four strikeouts while allowing just one hit.  Alexis Kilfoyl (Land O’ Lakes, Fla.) entered in the fourth, striking out two while allowing one run in her two innings of work before Kathryn Sandercock (McLean, Va.) pitched the final inning with just one hit allowed.

 

The USA Softball JWNT now set their sights on their first international contest of the season during the World Cup of Softball XII in Oklahoma City, Okla.  The JWNT will compete against tough competition, facing the top four-ranked countries in the world as the team prepares for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Junior Women’s World Championship. 

 

Fans can follow along with the National Team program by visiting USASoftball.com.

 

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.

 

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 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 more information, visit: www.wbsc.org

 

Codi Warren I Managing Director of Communications

USA Softball

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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111
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Visit Us Online: USASoftball.com

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