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
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