A 6-0, shutout win wraps up Women’s National Team’s prep for 2019 Pan American Games

July 31, 2019

---

A 6-0, shutout win wraps up Women’s National Team’s prep for 2019 Pan American Games

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 31, 2019 Web Release: Link

HOUSTON, Texas – Just one day after being limited to three hits, the offense for the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) came alive in their final 2019 Pan American Games preparation contest against Scrap Yard Fast Pitch. Combining for 10 hits, the U.S. posted a 6-0 win over Scrap Yard with five different batters driving in a run.   Click here for box scores from the Houston Series   As the visiting team, the U.S. struck early in their first at-bat of the game after Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) led off with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt by Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.). Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) hit a sac fly to left field, giving McCleney time to tag and score to make it a 1-0 lead. Scrap Yard threatened in the bottom of the frame, loading the bases after a single, error and walk with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning.   Team USA tacked on another run to their lead in the top of the third inning after three-consecutive walks to Stewart, Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) and Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.). With two outs, Rachel Garcia (Palmdale, Calif.) singled with a fly ball to left field to plate a run, but Arioto was thrown out at the plate attempting to score.   The bases became loaded for the second time in the contest for Scrap Yard in the bottom of the third after an error, single and walk, but a popup and another strikeout from starter Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) kept Scrap Yard off the board.   The third run of the game for the WNT came in the top of the fourth inning when Reed drove in Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.), who had reached earlier in the at-bat with a single, moved to second on a hit by McCleney and advanced to third on a passed ball.   The U.S. got out of another bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth inning after a walk, hit batter and single put runners on each base with two outs, but Abbott ended the inning with her 10th strikeout of the game.   The Red, White and Blue broke the game open in the top of the fifth inning, driving in three runs to take a 6-0 lead. Jazmyn Jackson (San Jose, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to start the at-bat, Moultrie singled and McCleney dropped a sac bunt to move each runner a base. Kirsti Merritt (Lake Panasoffkee, Fla.) hit a chopper to second base to plate one run and the U.S. capitalized on an error to bring a second runner across the plate. Arioto drove in the final run of the game with a line drive up the middle.   Scrap Yard’s final threat came in the bottom of the sixth after three walks loaded the bases for the fourth time in the game, but the U.S. held strong and retired the side with no damage done. In Scrap Yard’s final at-bat in the top of the seventh, a walk with one out was all the team managed to put on base as Team USA captured the 6-0 win.   McCleney had a 2-for-4 outing at the plate while Moultrie went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. In the circle, Abbott earned the win, issuing 10 strikeouts with three hits allowed in four innings. Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) struck out four batters in one and one-third innings while Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) finished the remaining one and two-third innings with three strikeouts.   Up next for the Women’s National Team is the Pan American Games, which will be held August 4-11 in Lima, Peru. In 10 appearances at the Pan American Games, the WNT has compiled an all-time record of 93-4 with eight Gold Medal and two Silver Medal finishes. The U.S. will be looking to take back the Gold Medal after falling to host country Canada at the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games.   About USA Softball USA Softball (USAS) 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 & Paralympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USAS sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations.  USAS 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.  USAS annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships.  The USAS 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, USAS 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 USAS, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.   Â

Copyright © 2019 USA Softball, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have registered with USA Softball or have requested to be added to USA Softball's mailing list.

Our mailing address is:
USA Softball