Haarlem,
Netherlands – The USA Softball Women’s National Team battled the
wind and rain as well as Chinese Taipei on Sunday at the International Softball
Federation (ISF) Women’s World Championship and prevailed 5-1 thanks to a
three-run first inning highlighted by Lauren Gibson’s (Pasadena, Md.) two-run
double to centerfield. Sara Nevins (Pinellas Park, Fla.) earned the start for
Team USA but lasted just two innings striking out four and allowing three hits
during her time in the circle. Jolene Henderson (Elk Grove, Calif.) entered in
the third and struck out six while also allowing three hits in the remaining
five innings of the contest.
“We’ve told our players over
and over that you have to be ready for anything at a World Championship,” said
USA Head Coach Ken Eriksen. “Today we went from rain to sunshine, back to rain
and ended with more sun. Through it all we stayed focused and made plays when
we needed to.”
Hitting from the second spot
in the lineup, Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) singled in the first inning and
came around to score when Samantha Fischer (Simi Valley, Calif.) hit a line
drive to center field two batters later. With Fischer standing on first a
steady drizzle grew heavier and the game was delayed for a brief period.
Following the delay, Valerie
Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) picked up where things had stopped when she singled
to left field advancing Fischer to third. In the next at-bat, Gibson connected
for her two-run double giving Team USA a 3-0 lead.
Chinese Taipei got a run back
in the second but despite two more runners in scoring position the USA defense
got out of the inning without allowing another run. Both teams were scoreless
in their next at-bats until Fischer led off the bottom of the third with a solo
homer over the left field fence to make it USA 4, Chinese Taipie 1.
Later in the third, Arioto
reached by walk and three illegal pitches later, she crossed home plate making
it 5-1. The score held the remaining four innings and Team USA moved to 3-0 in
the tournament with the win.
The American’s finished the
game with eight hits while striking out just twice. They will next face Great
Britain at 3 p.m. (8 a.m. CDT) on Monday. Live streaming and live stats are
available via www.USASoftball.com
throughout the ISF World Championship. Log on and follow Team USA as
they seek a tenth World Championship Gold.
About
ASA
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing
Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic
Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations
and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 76 local
associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to
over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.5 million.
For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/.
About USA
Softball
USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the
USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs
together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting
these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic
competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of the only two
women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive
gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine
World Championship titles including the last seven consecutive as well as
claimed six World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA
Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com.
About ISF
Headquartered in Plant City, Florida (USA), the ISF is a member of
the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the world governing body for
the sport which is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and
SportAccord (formerly the General Association of International Sports
Federations). Softball (women’s fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996
Games in Atlanta. There are 127 affiliated countries in the ISF and millions of
participants in the sport worldwide.