wspw.com - covering the world of women's sport
Top Headlines
Women's Pro Sports
Women's Collegiate
Women's Fitness
Athlete Profiles
National Teams
Calendar
Photo Galleries
SI  Watch
Sports History
The Gift Shop
Feedback

Link
Masthead
WSPW Press Kit
Submit Story

WSPW

Team USA routs Arizona 16-0 in Game One of KFC Bound for Beijing Tour

Cat Osterman - © 2007 Paul Martinez / PHOTOSPORT.com
Cat Osterman warms up

Paul Martinez / PHOTOSPORT.COM


Press Services

TUCSON, Ariz. --- The USA Softball Women’s National team opened the KFC Bound 4 Beijing tour on Tuesday evening in dominating fashion with 16-0 victory against the defending National Champion University of Arizona Wildcats. A crowd of 2,832 fans at Hillenbrand stadium watched the Red, White and Blue tally 15 hits including four home runs. Starting pitcher Alicia Hollowell (Suisun, Calif.) earned the win for Team USA pitching two innings earning three strikeouts. For the Wildcats, whose offense scattered four hits, right-handed pitcher Taryne Mowatt earned the lost.

“It was good to finally get on the field tonight,” said USA Softball head coach Mike Candrea, who is one a one year leave of absence from the University of Arizona. “We did some things right but it’s a long tour and we have a lot to work on as we get ready for August. It was great to be here in Tucson and it was an emotional night for me. This is a hard game to play and I am glad it’s over.”

Five members of Team USA saw multi-hit performances as they were led by 2004 gold medalist Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.) who was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Time was split in the circle with Hollowell, Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.), and Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) each seeing two innings. Rookie Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) closed the game striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh to close the game.

“Our pitchers did well tonight and it was good to get them innings,” said Candrea. “Hollowell was nervous but held her own, Finch did well hitting her spots and Osterman and Abbott are always tough especially to the left-handed hitters. I was proud of each of them.”

The Wildcats put a runner in scoring position early when Brittany Lastrapes drove a stand up double off the left field fence in the bottom of the first. With no outs, K’Lee Arredondo put a single to right field to put runners on the corners. But with back to back fly outs to Arizona alum Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) and a strikeout from Hollowell the U.S. escaped the threat allowing no runs.

Third baseman Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.) put the Red, White and Blue on the board in the second inning with a solo home run to centerfield. A base hit down the right field line from Lovie Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif.) looked promising for the U.S. to add some insurance runs, but Arizona pitching and defense held the U.S. to just a 1-0 lead after two innings.

The U.S. bats came alive in the top of the fourth inning scoring two insurance runs. A lead off walk from Jung followed by an Arizona throwing error put runners aboard before Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) ripped a two RBI triple down the left field line to push the lead to 3-0.

Three more runs in the fifth inning for Team USA opened up the game thanks to a single from Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz.), a double from Jenny Topping (Whittier, Calif.), and a series of errors from the Wildcats.

Mendoza pushed the U.S. lead to 7-0 in the sixth inning with a line drive solo home run to centerfield.

The power continued for Team USA in the top of the seventh, combining for nine runs on seven hits and two U of A errors. Highlighting the inning was a grand slam from Tucson native Flowers and a three-run home run from centerfielder Lowe.

Up next Team USA will bus to Palm Springs, Calif. On Wednesday as they begin competition in the Palm Springs Classic on Thursday evening.

United States vs Arizona (Feb 19, 2008)

2008 Bound 4 Beijing Tour

United States at Arizona

Feb 19, 2008 at Tucson, Ariz. (Hillenbrand Stadium)

United States 16 (1-0) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Lowe cf.................. 6 2 2 3 0 0 3 0 1 Watley ss................ 4 1 2 2 1 0 1 1 1 Mendoza lf............... 4 2 3 3 2 1 1 0 0 Bustos dh................ 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 Galindo pr/ph........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fernandez, Lisa ph/dh... 3 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 Flowers 1b............... 4 2 2 4 0 0 4 0 2 Duran 3b................. 3 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 Lappin c................. 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 3 Topping c............... 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 Nuveman, Stacey c....... 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 Jung 2b.................. 3 3 2 0 1 0 0 2 2 Berg rf.................. 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kretschman ph/rf........ 1 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 Hollowell p.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Finch p/ph.............. 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Osterman p.............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Abbott p................ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 36 16 15 14 8 6 21 5 12 Arizona 0 (0-1) Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Lastrapes lf............. 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 Arredondo ss............. 2 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 Banister 1b.............. 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 Rodriguez pr............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Roth 1b................. 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 McNamara pr............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Leles 3b................. 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Chambers dh/c............ 2 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 2 Balko c/dh............... 2 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 4 Malina pr............... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kemp 2b.................. 3 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 0 Duran rf................. 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Schutzler rf............ 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 Acton cf................. 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Gonzalez ph............. 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Mowatt p................. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Sisk p.................. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals................... 24 0 4 0 3 12 21 7 6 Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- United States....... 010 231 9 - 16 15 0 Arizona............. 000 000 0 - 0 4 4 ----------------------------------------- E - Arredondo; Leles; Mowatt 2. LOB - USA 12; ARIZ 6. 2B - Topping; Lastrapes; Roth. 3B - Watley. HR - Lowe; Mendoza; Flowers; Duran. HBP - Galindo. SH - Watley; Duran; Berg 2. SB - Mendoza 2. CS - Malina. United States IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Hollowell........... 2.0 2 0 0 1 3 8 9 Finch............... 2.0 1 0 0 2 2 6 8 Osterman............ 2.0 1 0 0 0 4 7 7 Abbott.............. 1.0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 Arizona IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Mowatt.............. 5.1 6 6 3 5 5 21 31 Sisk................ 1.2 9 10 10 3 1 15 18 Win - Hollowell. Loss - Mowatt. Save - None. WP - Mowatt 3. HBP - by Mowatt (Galindo). PB - Chambers. Umpires - HP: Steve Arnold 1B: Geri Magwire 3B: Michael Bartling Start: 6 p.m. Time: 2:40 Attendance: 2832 Game: B4B1AZ






 Photo Gallery
Photosport.com

Jen Finch (c) PHOTOSPORT

 Jennie Finch


contact | privacy policy | jobs
©2007 Sports PhotoWorld Magazine