International & NPF

USA Softball Sweeps, will Play Japan in Championship

USA Softball

Takasaki City, Japan  — USA Softball Sweeps when their bats came alive on day two at the 2016 Japan Cup.  Blasting three home runs in a 9-0 (six innings) win over Chinese Taipei in their first game of the day, the U.S. earned a 4-3 win over host country Japan in their last game of the evening.  With the win, Team USA remained undefeated through preliminary rounds at the Japan Cup to earn the No. 1 seed, setting up a rematch with Japan in tomorrow’s Gold Medal finale.

Click here for live stats and a game schedule for the 2016 Japan Cup

Game One: USA 9, Chinese Taipei 0 (six innings)

Box Score

A slow offensive start did not phase the USA Softball WNT as the Eagles soared to a 9-0 (six innings) win over Chinese Taipei.  Behind a no-hitter performance from starter Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.), Team USA opened up the game in the fourth inning en route to a run-rule victory.

Chinese Taipei would get a pair of runners on early in the game after a hit batter and a defensive error allowed two on with one out.  Carda and the U.S. defense were not shaken as a fly ball to Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) in center field and a strikeout from Carda kept the game scoreless.  The game would not remain that way for long as Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning, making it a 1-0 lead for the U.S.

Chinese Taipei put another runner on base when a two-out walk was issued, but Carda fired back with a strikeout to keep the U.S. ahead by one run.  Team USA would open up the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring three runs to extend their lead to 4-0.  With two outs, Carda was hit by a pitch and would come around to score on a double from Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.).  Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) followed with a two-run home run over the center field fence to extend the U.S. lead.

A two-run home run by Moultrie in the bottom of the fifth would make it a 6-0 ballgame for the U.S.  Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) had reached base on a two-out single to center field before Moultrie cleared the right field fence for the third home run of the game.

Kelly Barnhill (Marietta, Ga.) entered the game in relief in the top of the sixth inning, and despite a leadoff single was able to keep Chinese Taipei off the board with a ground out, strikeout and an infield fly ball.  Needing just one run to secure the win via the run-rule, Team USA did just that in the bottom of the sixth.  A leadoff single from Spaulding and a single from pinch hitter Bianka Bell (Tampa, Fla.) put two on base.  A single from Janie Takeda (Placentia, Calif.) would load the bases for the Red, White and Blue before Jazmyn Jackson (San Jose, Calif.) hit a line drive right down the left-field line for a triple.  With the hit, the game would end with Team USA earning the shutout win.

Carda got the win for the U.S., pitching a gem of a game through five innings of work after issuing nine strikeouts, one walk, and no hits.  Barnhill issued one strikeout and one hit in one inning of work.  For the offense, Arioto, Spaulding, and Takeda had 2-for-3 performances at the plate, while Jackson picked up three RBI.

Game Two: USA 4, Japan 3

Box Score

In their first meeting since the Team USA took home the Gold at the 2016 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s World Championship, the U.S. and Japan rivalry lived up to the hype.  A strong performance from the U.S. pitching staff and timely hitting, including a three-run home run by Arioto, helped the U.S. edge out Japan 4-3.

Japan would strike first in the bottom of the first inning after a solo home run by Eri Yamada.  The U.S. responded quickly in the top of the second inning after Aguilar dropped in a single into shallow left field.  On a full count, Kasey Cooper (Dothan, Ala.) tied the game after sending a ball over the left fielder’s head for a standup double while the speedy Aguilar scored from first.

Japan looked to strike again in the bottom of the second after a leadoff single and a fielding error allowed the batter to advance to second base.  A sac bunt moved the runner to third, but a line drive to Aguilar at second kept the runner at bay with two outs.  Team USA’s starting pitcher Jaclyn Traina (Naples, Fla.) took the challenge in stride, issuing a strikeout to keep it a 1-1 ballgame.

Both sides would threaten but fail to plate any additional runs through the next three innings before the U.S. took the lead in the top of the sixth.  After Stewart was hit by a pitch to start off the at-bat, Takeda beat out an infield single to put two runners on base.  Swinging at the first pitch in her at-bat, Arioto left no doubt as she sent the ball deep over the left field fence to clear the bases and give the Red, White and Blue a 4-1 lead.

With the momentum in the hands of the U.S., Barnhill entered the game in relief in the bottom of the sixth.  Japan would cut the lead in half with a leadoff solo home run by Yamada, her second of the day, but Barnhill and the U.S. defense retired the next three batters to keep it a 4-2 lead.

Team USA threatened again in the top of the seventh after two hit batters put two on base with two outs, but the U.S. was unable to capitalize.  With Japan down to their final at-bat, the game would get interesting after a leadoff single put a runner on base.  A popup kept the runner at first, but back-to-back walks would load the bases.  This prompted a pitching change for the U.S. as Delanie Gourley (Lakeside, Calif.) entered the circle.  A sac fly to right field would plate a run for Japan to cut the U.S. lead to just one run.  With Yamada at the plate, Gourley came up with a huge strikeout to end the game with Team USA walking away with the 4-3 win.

Traina earned the win for the U.S., striking out three batters while issuing just four hits and one walk in five innings of work in the circle.  Gourley earned the save, collecting one strikeout in her two batters faced.  At the plate, Arioto picked up three RBI for the U.S. while Cooper had a 2-for-3 performance.

The U.S. and Japan are set for a rematch in tomorrow’s Gold Medal finale, which is slated for 5:30 p.m. JST (3:30 a.m. CT).  Fans at home can follow along with live stats, recaps and more at ASAUSASoftball.com.

About ASA/USA Softball

Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.02 million.  ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won 10 World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com/.

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