Women’s National Team evens up Japan All-Star Series with 7-2 win over Japan

June 23, 2019

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Women’s National Team evens up Japan All-Star Series with 7-2 win over Japan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 23, 2019 Web Release: Link

SENDAI — The USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) used an explosive second inning to even up the Japan All-Star Series, posting a 7-2 win over No. 2 Japan. The Americans showed their relentless mentality following a 6-4 loss in the series opener while overcoming a 1-0 deficit in today’s contest. Capitalizing on five walks and hit batter in the second inning, the U.S. pushed seven runs across the plate and never looked back en route to the win. 
 
“We didn’t do anything different today then what we did yesterday except get out of some situations that we put ourselves into,” said WNT Head Coach, Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla.). “We gave a lot of freebies yesterday and today in the circle, but our team basically said, ‘So what?’ Yesterday we had some opportunities to score runs but didn’t get the barrel to the ball and today we did. It’s a crazy game and we have to keep persevering, but once again we’re still ironing things out and our team still has to learn each other. So overall, still a long way to go.”
 
Click here for live stats and coverage from the Japan All-Star Series
 
Japan struck first in the top of the second inning after a walk put the leadoff batter on base. A failed sac bunt and strikeout quickly retired the next two batters, but back-to-back singles allowed a run to cross the plate. The U.S. defense was able to get out of the jam, however, relaying the ball to third base to get the third out after Japan tried to sneak an extra base.
 
Team USA’s bats came alive in response as the offense erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the second. Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) led things off by being hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a walk to Sahvanna Jaquish (Highland, Calif.) and scored on a double to right field by Shelby Pendley (Rio Rancho, N.M.). The U.S. continued the momentum by taking advantage of a walk to Kirsti Merritt (Lake Panasoffkee, Fla.) to load the bases. A passed ball gave the Red, White and Blue the lead and a single to right field off the bat of Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.) made it a 3-1, U.S. ballgame.
 
The relentless mindset and patience at the plate continued with a pair of walks to Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) and Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.), the latter with bases loaded, and a single from Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) drove in another run. Having batted through the order, Moultrie stepped back into the batter’s box and hammered a ball down the right field line to score another two runs. By the time the at-bat ended, the WNT had seven runners cross the plate to have a six-run cushion.
 
Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) and the U.S. defense continued to keep the Japan batters in check in the top of the third inning as a popup erased out a two-out walk, but Japan returned the favor in the bottom of the frame. After Dejah Mulipola (Garden Grove, Calif.) singled with two outs and moved to second on a walk to Arioto, a fly ball recorded the third out of the at-bat.
 
With Team USA up by six, Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) entered the circle to mark her first pitch in international play since July 2, 2010. After an error and one-out single put two on, Osterman settled in as the defense got the second out from a popped-up bunt while a K recorded the third out.
 
The final run of the contest came in the top of the fifth inning as Japan took advantage of a leadoff walk. A single up the middle gave the runner time to advance to third, while an errant throw to second allowed a run to score and cut Team USA’s lead to five. Osterman and the U.S. defense held steady, however, as back-to-back strikeouts and a grounder brought rally attempt to a close.
 
With Team USA holding a 7-2 lead through the top of the seventh, two walks looked to get something going offensively for Japan, but no harm was done as a grounder to Pendley at third base ended the game with the Red, White and Blue earning the win.
 
Offensively, Moultrie drove in two of Team USA’s seven runs while Arioto and Jaquish recorded multiple base on balls. In two contests, Japan has tread lightly around Arioto in the three-hole of the lineup, walking her a total of six times in eight trips to the plate.
 
Osterman earned the win in her relief effort, tossing four innings without an earned run while striking out four batters. Abbott was just as effective through the first three innings of play, fanning three with just one earned run.
 
The Japan All-Star Series is set for a winner-take-all finale on Tuesday, June 25 as both teams face off at 7 p.m. local time (5 a.m. CT) at the Tokyo Dome. Live stats will be available for the USA vs Japan All-Star Series finale, and fans at home can follow along with 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 through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations.  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.