Lafayette, La. – Three home runs and a shutout by the U.S. pitching staff earned the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) a 6-0 win over Scrap Yard Fast Pitch in the first-of-three games in Lafayette, La. Playing at Lamson Park, home of the Ragin’ Cajuns softball team, Team USA’s Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) and Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) each blasted two-run home runs while three pitchers combined for the win.

Click here for box scores from the Lafayette Exhibition Series

“Little things at the plate opened up the game for us,” said Head Coach, Ken Eriksen. “We continued to be relentless and we hit the ball really hard tonight. Our approaches were really mature, which is encouraging after a little break and just a few days of training before today’s game. Our pitching staff did a nice job tonight by keeping the other team at zero. When you have Monica Abbott come out then Rachel Garcia and Keilani Ricketts coming in and shutting the door, it lends a lot to getting some good work in against some really good hitters.”

Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) got the start in the circle for Team USA and quickly dealt two strikeouts before a hit batter and walk put two on base. On a grounder hit to the right-side gap, first baseman Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) snagged the ball and dove to first base to get the third out of the inning.

The U.S. put a pair of runners on base through the first two innings of play as McCleney was hit by a pitch and Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) hit a double, but the game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third when the WNT offense exploded.

Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) led things off with a double and scored after McCleney squared up on a pitch and drove it over the center field fence. Arioto continued the momentum with a single, putting one on base for Spaulding who sent out the second two-run home run of the at-bat to make it a 4-0 lead.

The U.S. added another pair of runs to their lead in the bottom of the fourth as Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.) sent out a solo home run.

A walk to Sahvanna Jaquish, single by McCleney back-to-back walks to Arioto and Rachel Garcia (Palmdale, Calif.) extended the lead to 6-0.

That score held through the remaining three innings of play with Team USA earning the shutout win.

At the plate, McCleney had a 2-for-3 outing with two RBI while Spaulding also picked up two RBI. From the circle, Abbott fanned six batters through the first three innings of play. Garcia tossed two scoreless innings while Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) closed out the game with two strikeouts.

Team USA and Scrap Yard Fast Pitch are set for another 7 p.m. CT matchup on Wednesday, July 24 at Lamson Park.

Live stats and live streaming are available for each of Team USA’s contests against Scrap Yard Fast Pitch, and links can be found at USASoftball.com.