IWAKUNI, Japan –– The bats were hot for the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) as the Red, White and Blue picked up another pair of wins at Kizuna Stadium today. The U.S. kicked off their third exhibition doubleheader in Iwakuni, Japan with a 5-0 shutout win over Toyota Red Terriers before closing the day with a 5-1 (five-innings) victory over Hitachi Sundiva, which was called after five-innings due to inclement weather in Iwakuni.
The U.S. pitching staff took control in today’s
Game One
USA 5, Toyota 0
Team USA wasted no time in getting the offense going as Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) and Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.) led off the game with back-to-back singles followed by a home run from Chidester to give the U.S. an early 3-0 lead. Osterman got the start in the circle for the Eagles and quickly issued a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts and a fly out to bring Team USA back to the plate.
A leadoff walk to Rachel Garcia (Palmdale, Calif.) would look to start something for the U.S. offense, but a line drive double play by the Toyota defense would clear the bases before another line out would end the inning. Osterman continued dealing through the next two innings, fanning six-straight batters to put her at eight strikeouts through the first nine batters she faced.
The top of the fourth brought in two more runs for Team USA after Garcia sent a two-out single up the middle followed by a long ball over the left field fence from Flippen to extend the U.S. lead, 5-0. Toyota got their first baserunner of the game in the bottom of the fourth with a hit-by-pitch, but a ground out and a fly out would retire the side. A three-up, three-down fifth inning for both sides would bring Team USA to the plate for the top of the sixth, but a strikeout and two fly outs would end the at-bat with the U.S. maintaining the five-run lead.
Carda took over pitching duties in the bottom of the sixth and retired the side in order before leading off the top of the seventh for the U.S. offense with a single to centerfield. McCleney would send a two-out double to right field to advance Carda to third, but a strikeout would leave them stranded. Toyota drew a walk in the bottom of the frame to put a runner on, but a ground out and two pop outs would retire the side, earning Team USA the 5-0 victory.
The U.S. pitching staff of Osterman and Carda combined for a no-hitter in the shutout win, allowing just two Toyota batters to reach base on a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Osterman took control throughout the first five innings, collecting 10 strikeouts while Carda fanned one batter in the final two innings of the contest. At the plate, Team USA combined for seven hits with home runs off the bats of Chidester and Flippen to plate all five of the U.S. runs.
Game Two
USA 5, Hitachi 1 (Five-innings)
A scoreless first inning from both sides would bring Team USA back to the plate in the top of the second to take a one-run lead. Back-to-back singles from Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) and Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.) would start the inning for the U.S. before Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) ripped a base hit to right field to put the Eagles on top, 1-0. Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.) looked to extend Team USA’s lead with a single to left field, but Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.), who reached base on a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning, was thrown out at home to end the at-bat.
Abbott, who got the start in the circle for Team USA, retired the first nine batters she faced to keep Hitachi off the board through three innings, but a two-out rally by the Sundivas in the bottom of the fourth would level the score, 1-1. A fly out and a strikeout would start the inning strong for Abbott and the U.S. defense, but timely hitting by the Hitachi offense would string together three singles to plate the tying run.
The U.S. offense responded without hesitation in the top of the fifth with Stewart leading off the inning with a single followed by an infield error from the Hitachi defense to allow Munro to reach base and advance Stewart to second. Reed then ripped a double to left field to clear the bases for Team USA and put them back on top, 3-1. A pair of singles from Chidester and Moultrie followed by a bases loaded hit-by-pitch to Delaney Spaudling (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) would bring two more runs in for the U.S. before a ground out would end the rally.
With the U.S. regaining the lead in the top of the fifth, Abbott came out firing in the bottom of the frame with a 1-2-3 shutout inning by way of three strikeouts. With one out in the top of the sixth, rain and lightning at Kizuna Stadium caused the game to be called with Team USA securing the 5-1 win.
The U.S. offense strung together nine hits in the final game of the day with Reed and Stewart going 2-for-3 at the plate while scoring three of Team USA’s five runs. Abbott dominated in the circle with nine strikeouts and allowed just three Hitachi batters to reach base.
Team USA will return to action tomorrow at 10 a.m. JT / July 12 8 p.m. CT with their final exhibition doubleheader in Iwakuni before traveling to Tokyo, Japan where the Red, White and Blue will begin its quest to a fourth Olympic Gold Medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games scheduled for July 21-27.
Live stats for tomorrow’s doubleheader will be available on USASoftball.com.
About USA Softball
USA Softball (USAS) is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USAS sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations. USAS is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USAS annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USAS umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.
As the NGB for the sport of softball, USAS is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USAS, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.
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