Haarlem,
Netherlands – Jessica Moore (Sutter, Calif.) earned the start and
the win for the USA Softball Women’s National Team at the International
Softball Federation (ISF) World Championship but it took all four USA pitchers
to close out the Aussies following a 9.5 hour, overnight rain delay the Amateur
Softball Association/USA Softball announced today. The contest began at 10 p.m.
on Tuesday evening but lasted just an hour and a half before rain put a stop to
play for the evening with the Americans leading 4-0. Teams returned Wednesday
morning to resume action in the top of the fourth and it was the USA pitching
staff that came up big as they held Australia to just two runs to get the win.
“Our bullpen was a huge
reason we won this game,” said USA Head Coach Ken Eriksen. “After an overnight
delay and an early morning, we needed all four of our pitchers and each were
ready to go when their name was called.”
Moore lasted 4.2 innings and
allowed just one Australian run on five hits and walked two. She struck out
five in the process.
The largest chunk of USA
scoring came in the top of the second inning. With two outs and facing a full
count, Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md.) hit a solo home run that started the
rally. Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.) followed her lead with a single and
Kellie Fox (San Diego, Calif.) added a second USA base runner with a single to
center field. With runners on, Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) added to the lead
with a two-run triple to center field putting USA up 3-0 heading into the
bottom of the second.
Australia again struggled to
get much going offensively and the USA added to their lead in the third. With
one out, Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) drew a walk and Samantha
Fischer (Simi Valley, Calif.) took advantage belting a 1-0 pitch to deep left
field. Moultrie scored on the hit and Team USA lead 4-0.
An inning later, with one out
and Fox in the batter’s box, the sky opened and a heavy downpour of rain began.
Teams were pulled off of the field just before a thrown breaker cut the stadium
lights off on the field. A decision was made to break action and resume playing
the next morning.
Following a short night, both
teams returned to the field Wednesday morning to resume action. Continuing her
at-bat, Fox struck out and was followed by a McCleney fly out ending top of the
fourth. Australia put a runner on in the bottom of the inning but Moore cut it
off there and USA held their lead entering the fifth.
Team USA had no trouble
putting the ball in play as the game progressed but were unlucky with placement
as Australia continued to find outs. Three hits in the bottom of the fifth
loaded the bases for the Aussies and when De Blaes grounded to short stop the
USA defense opted for the easier second out rather than making an attempt at
home. Australia was on the board for the first time as they cut the USA lead to
4-1. Jaclyn Traina (Naples, Fla.) entered the circle for Team USA with two outs
and threw three strikes to end the scoring threat.
Both teams turned in three
up, three down innings in the sixth and the USA got its first base runner of
the day in the top of the seventh when McCleney reached on a second baseman
error but a ground out in the next at-bat ended any chances of additional runs.
Down to their last at-bat,
Australia needed three runs to extend the game or four to win. Traina surrendered
back-to-back singles to start the half inning and Sara Nevins (Pinellas Park,
Fla.) was called on to enter the circle. The Florida native recorded two outs
but gave up a second Australian run on a ground-out back to the pitcher.
Leading 4-2 with runners on second,
Jolene Henderson (Elk Grove, Calif.) entered to close out the contest and it
took her just one pitch. Australia’s De Blaes grounded the first pitch she saw
to third base for the final out of the contest.
The American’s finished the
game with five hits and four walks.. The four pitchers combined to strike out
eight Australian batters and walked just two. USA will next face Dominican
Republic at 5:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. CDT) on Wednesday. A win would guarantee a
number one seed entering the playoff portion of the World Championship. 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.