FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 26, 2017

 

Three home runs power Team USA to Gold Medal finale at the Japan Cup as the U.S. defeats Japan 6-2

 

Takasaki City, Japan  — Team USA’s veterans had a day at the plate as three members of the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) sent out home runs in a 6-2 win over Japan at the 2017 Japan Cup.  A solo home run by Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.), a two-run blast by Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) and a two-run shot by Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.) helped the U.S. soar to victory while three U.S. pitchers saw time in the circle en route to the win. 

 

“Not a bad day today,” said Head Coach Ken Eriksen.  “We had better defense today than yesterday.  Ally bounced back really well, pounded the strike zone and moved the ball well.  Aubree called a great game and we had timely hitting from our veterans.  When you’ve got Michelle, Amanda and Valerie hitting the ball really well it makes it a lot easier for us.  Putting Kasey in the third spot in the lineup forced the issue with Japan having to throw to people.  Right now, it’s a good first two days of the tournament and it’s nice to guarantee that you’re going to play in the Gold Medal game tomorrow because it gives us a little bit more time for rest and recovery.”

 

Click here for a box score

 

Team USA challenged  Japan from the start as Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) led off the first inning with a walk and moved to second on a single from Moultrie.  Unfortunately, the U.S. was unable to do any damage as a ground out, popup and a fly ball ended the at-bat.  Japan would also get a runner on in the bottom of the frame after USA’s starter Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) hit a batter with one out, but a beautifully executed double play by the defense got the U.S. out of the inning unscathed. 

 

Team USA looked to strike again in the top of the second inning after Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.) and Jazmyn Jackson (San Jose, Calif.) hit back-to-back singles with two outs, but a strikeout kept the Eagles off the board. 

 

After retiring Japan in order in the bottom of the second, Team USA took a 1-0 lead after Moultrie hit the first pitch of her at-bat over the right field fence for a solo home run.  Two batters later, Chidester doubled with a line drive to left field to put a runner in scoring position for Arioto, who delivered in a big way with a beast of a home run over the centerfield fence. 

 

With the U.S. leading 3-0, Japan threatened again in the bottom of the third after a leadoff single from Nozomi Nagasaki.  A sac bunt advanced the runner to second base and she would stay put after a fly ball to Moultrie in right field recorded the second out.  The runner then attempted to steal off Munro, who fired the ball to Kasey Cooper (Dothan, Ala.) at third base to once again keep Japan from scoring.

 

Munro would draw a leadoff walk in the top of the fourth and moved to second on a one out single from McCleney, but Japan’s defense got out of the jam with a double play.  With the U.S. back on defense in the bottom of the frame, Japan looked to strike after loading the bases with two outs.  Two walks and a single put runners on each bag, but Carda remained calm in the circle and kept Japan off the board by catching a popup.

 

The third home run of the game for the U.S. would come in the top of the fifth inning after Cooper led off with a single to right field.   Chidester then extended the lead for Team USA with a two-run home run over the left field fence, giving the Red, White and Blue a five-run edge.

 

A single with one out for Japan prompted a pitching change for Team USA in the bottom of the fifth as Delanie Gourley (Lakeside, Calif.) entered the game for Carda.  Gourley quickly fanned her first batter faced before giving up a single to put two on with two outs.  A ground ball to Cooper ended the inning, however, with Japan remaining scoreless through five innings of play.

 

After the U.S. was retired in order for the first time in the contest in the top of the sixth, Japan got on the scoreboard after a two-run home run with two outs.  A walk to Natsuko Sugama followed by a home run from Manami Daikuya cut Team USA’s lead to 5-2.

 

An insurance run would cross the plate for the WNT in the top of the seventh inning after the bases became loaded.  Back-to-back walks to Chidester and Arioto put the first two runners on base.  A strikeout kept the two at bay before an error by Japan’s defense put a runner on each bag for Munro, who knocked in a run with a single to left field.

 

With Team USA up 6-2 and Japan down to their final at-bat, Jessica Moore (Sutter, Calif.) entered the game to shut the door on Japan’s offense.  With the U.S. defense behind her, two groundouts and a fly ball to right field ended the game with Team USA handing Japan the 6-2 loss.

 

Carda picked up the win after pitching four and one-third scoreless innings with one strikeout, two walks and four hits.  Gourley fanned two batters, walked one and allowed two runs in her one and two-third innings.  At the plate, Chidester and Arioto each recorded two RBI while Munro was a perfect 2-for-2 with two walks. 

 

With the win, Team USA has earned a spot in the Gold Medal finale, which will take place tomorrow evening at 5:30 p.m. JST (3:30 a.m. CT).  Their opponent is not yet determined as both Australia and Japan remain in the running for the No. 2 seed at the time of this recap.

 

Fans at home can follow along with live stats, recaps and more at 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

2801 NE 50th Street

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

Visit Us Online: USASoftball.com

Follow along with USA Softball National Championships across the country!

 

Find a list of 2017 #USASoftball National Championships today!