OKLAHOMA CITY – The World Cup of Softball XI action officially kicked off today as teams battled each other and the heat at the ASA Hall of Fame Complex – OGE Energy Field – INTEGRIS Field. Highlighting the day was a 13-2 (four inning) run-rule victory by the USA Softball Women’s Elite Team and a 11-1 (four inning) win for the USA Softball Women’s National Team. Also seeing action today during Border Battle VIII, the USA Softball Slow Pitch National Team and the USA Softball Men’s Futures Slow Pitch National Team faced off in the fourth-annual Slow Pitch Showdown, with the Slow Pitch National Team earning the 25-24 win. For the day, the Slow Pitch National Team went 1-1, while the USA Futures also went 1-1.
Click here for box scores for all World Cup of Softball XI games
USA Elite 13, Czech Republic 2 (four innings)
The USA Softball Women’s Elite Team utilized a nine-run, second inning to catapult them to a 13-2 (four inning) win over Czech Republic in their first competition of the 2016 season. Behind the hot bat of Hannah Flippen (Bonita, Calif.), the U.S. hit three home runs en route to the win.
“The team did a good job of coming out and being ready to go,” said Head Coach Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz.). “It’s the first true international game for a lot of these athletes, so I was excited to see some great defensive plays and at-bats during the game. We had a few jitters in the first inning, but they did a great job of locking in and making something happen in that second inning.”
Paige Lowary (Grimes, Iowa) got the start in the circle for the U.S. and her defense put in work with a pair of groundouts to record the first two outs. A walk put the first runner of the game on base, but was caught stealing as Madeline Jelenicki (Santa Clarita, Calif.) fired the ball to second to get the final out in the top of the first. Team USA would put a runner on base in the bottom half of the frame as Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.) reached on a two-out walk, but a fly ball to center kept the game tied at 0-0 through one inning of play.
The Czech Republic would get two runners on base in the top of the second off a defensive miscue and a double, but Lowary fired back with a pair of strikeouts to end the threat and keep Czech Republic off the board. The scoring got started for the Red, White and Blue in the bottom of the second, as Flippen led off the at-bat with a solo shot. A walk to Mysha Sataraka (Honolulu, Hawaii) put the next runner on for the U.S., before Jelenicki hit the second home run of the inning to plate another two runs.
“Today went really well and we hit the ball like crazy,” said Flippen. “Getting to wear the USA jersey is a huge accomplishment, and then to come out and win our first game, it was a great feeling.”
A walk to Bailey Landry (Prairieville, La.) would prompt a pitching change for the Czech Republic as Martina Blahova entered in relief for starter Veronika Peckova. Facing her first batter, Blahova walked Allexis Bennett (Corona, Calif.) and Astin Donovan (Guilford, Conn.) bunted for a single to load the bases. Three more runs for the U.S. would score as an illegal pitch would bring home Landry before Bennett and Donovan scored on a passed ball. Three-straight walks to Aguilar, Sam Fischer (Simi Valley, Calif.) and Flippen loaded the bases for the second time in the inning as Sataraka hit a sac-fly to plate Aguilar for run number seven. The U.S. would plate their last run of the inning when Fischer took advantage of a passed ball. After two innings of play, the USA Elite team led 9-0.
It was a three-up and three-down inning for Lowary in the circle as she recorded a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to bring the U.S. back to the plate. Landry led off the bottom of the third with a single to right field, and Bennett cleared the bases with a blast over right field.
The Czech Republic would score two runs in the top of the fourth inning as Tereza Jakesova and Tereza Pochobradska came around on a single and a fielder’s choice. Leading 11-2 entering the bottom of the fourth, the U.S. would earn the win via the run-rule as Bennett tripled to center to score Brooke Vines (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) and Landry.
USA 11, Philippines 1 (four innings)
Team USA jumped out to an early lead in their first game of the World Cup of Softball XI as the Eagles captured an 11-1 (four inning) win over the Philippines. The U.S. rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the first, combining for 12 hits, including home runs from Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.), Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.).
“It’s a work in progress and we’ve still got a long way to go,” said Head Coach Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla.). “It’s nice to get the first game under your belt. Our defense did a great job of getting out of the first inning with only one run allowed. Jess Moore did a fantastic job of bearing down on that third out, and Raven Chavanne came up and got things going for our offense. The team felt good today.”
The Philippines would jump on the board in the top of the first inning after a walk and hit-by-pitch put two runners on base with one out. A single to center loaded the bases, and a ground ball brought in a run. The U.S. responded in the bottom half of the frame when Raven Chavanne (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) got the offense going with a leadoff double and advanced to third on a throwing error. Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) put runners on the corner, beating out a high throw to first base before swiping second to put both runners in scoring position. Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) tied up the game with a ground ball, plating Chavanne and advancing McCleney to third. A walk to Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.) put runners on the corners again for the U.S., before Arioto cleared the bases with a blast over the left field fence.
Not to be outdone, Moultrie followed with a solo shot to plate run number five of the inning. A single from Spaulding continued the momentum and an Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.) double scored the last run of the at-bat for the U.S. After one inning of play, Team USA held a 6-1 lead.
“The energy that we had in the dugout, especially coming from behind, was great,” said Chidester. “We went through the entire lineup and everyone did their part. The team really came together to put up six runs to set the tone. We kept up the energy and fought all the way through.”
Philippines was retired in order in the top of the second to bring the U.S. back to the plate. The Red, White and Blue would get base runners on in the bottom half of the inning, but were kept from adding to their lead. The U.S. had a pitching change in the top of the third, as Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) entered for U.S. starter Jessica Moore (Sutter, Calif.). Carda continued to stifle the Philippines offense, letting her defense work behind her to keep the game at 6-1, USA.
Spaulding sparked the offense in the bottom of the third inning with a leadoff solo home run. Another two runs would get added to the U.S. lead as Janie Takeda (Placentia, Calif.) and Kasey Cooper (Dothan, Ala.) came around to score on a double from Stewart to extend the lead to 9-1.
After retiring the side in order in the top of the fourth, Team USA came back to the plate needing just two runs to capture the win. The U.S. did just that, as Arioto and Bianka Bell (Tampa, Fla.) scored on a single from Cooper to give the Eagles the 11-1 (four inning) victory.
