FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 11, 2017

 

USA drops extra-innings decision to Mexico at Pan American Championship; set for rematch against Puerto Rico tomorrow

 

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — The USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) suffered their first loss at the Pan American Championship, dropping a 7-2 (eight innings) decision to Mexico.  The U.S. was unable to overcome a five-run outing by Mexico in the top of the eighth inning after the game was forced into extra-innings.

 

“Mexico played a very good game today,” said Head Coach Ken Eriksen.  “They were relentless and played with no fear.  You have to tip your hat to them.”

 

Click here for a box score

 

It was a scoreless ballgame through the first four innings of play as both U.S. starter Kelly Barnhill (Marietta, Ga.) and Mexico’s Dallas Escobedo kept both teams off the scoreboard.  Jessica Moore (Sutter, Calif.) entered the game for Team USA in the top of the fifth and continued the momentum with three-straight groundouts.

 

The score would stand at 0-0 until the bottom of the fifth when the U.S. plated two runs.  Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) tripled with two outs before Jazmyn Jackson (San Jose, Calif.) hit a two-run blast over the right field fence to give the U.S. the early 2-0 lead. 

 

Both sides would be retired in order in the sixth inning to bring Mexico to their final at-bat.  A leadoff single put a runner on base before Tori Vidales squared up on a pitch for a home run to tie the game up at two runs apiece.  Moore and the U.S. defense held strong, recording two outs before a hit batter resulted in a pitching change as Danielle O’Toole (Upland, Calif.) entered the game.  

 

Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.) recorded a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, but two popups and a strikeout forced the game into extra-innings. 

 

Mexico took the lead for good in the top of the eighth after a sac bunt advanced the international tie-breaker (ITB) runner to third and a walk put runners on the corners.  An infield single loaded the bases to prompt a pitching change for USA as Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) entered the game.  Back-to-back singles plated three runs, a bases loaded walk added another and a single made it a 7-2 lead for Mexico.

 

Down to their final at-bat, USA would get runners on the corners after Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) singled with two outs to move ITB runner Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) to third.  A pop out would end the game, with USA suffering their first loss of the Pan American Championship.

 

Carda suffered the loss for the U.S., allowing four hits, one walk and two runs in two-third innings pitched.  O’Toole finished the game with one hit and two runs in her two-third innings while Moore fanned one with two hits and two runs in two and two-third innings.  Barnhill fanned five and allowed two hits in four innings.

 

At the plate, Chidester, McCleney and Spaulding each went 1-for-3 while Jackson recorded two RBI in her one plate appearance after the home run.

 

Team USA will now face Puerto Rico at 11 a.m. ET with the winner advancing in the Pan American Championship.  Fans can watch Team USA throughout the tournament with live streaming through InternetTV for an $11.95 (USD) subscription.  Live stats will also be available for fans to follow along through 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.

 

 

Codi Warren I Managing Director of Communications

USA Softball

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