International: USA Softball Shuts Out Italy & China in Day 1 of Utsugi Cup

The USA U-15 team started strong on Day 1 at the Utsugi Cup taking place this weekend at the Utsugi Stadium in Takasaki City, Japan.

The Red, White & Blue team pitched a pair of impressive shutouts to top Italy and China in the six-team tourney which will see the USA face Japan in the title game.

Here’s the details of how the USA team made it to the championship…

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GAME 1: USA 3, Italy 0

BOX SCORE: 

TEAM USA STARTERS: 

Stevie South (CF), Aspen Boulware (RF), Anabela Abdullah (SS), Kenya Lapuaho (DP), Taegan Lermann (3B), Brooklyn Paratore (1B), Ella Kim (C), Isabella Barge (LF), Madelyn Armendariz (2B), Lily Pullen (P)

WINNING PITCHER: 

Lily Pullen (1-0)

BATTING LEADERS:

• Anabela Abdullah (1-2, 1 single, 1 run scored, 1 RBI)
• Aspen Boulware (1-2, 1 single, 1 run scored, 1 RBI)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Retiring seven batters via strikeout, Pullen sealed the shutout win for the Eagles while allowing only three batters to make contact through five innings. The U.S. offense got things moving early at the plate, plating three runs in the bottom of the first thanks to a leadoff single from Stevie South, followed by back-to-back singles from Aspen Boulware and Anabela Abdullah and a series of fielding miscues from the Italy defense. With a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second, the Italy defense managed to keep the U.S. bats silent through the rest of the match-up, while Pullen and the U.S. defense remained solid, recording three-straight outs in the top of the fifth to tab the first U.S. win of the tournament.

GAME NOTES:

• Pullen the start in the circle for the U.S., striking out seven batters through five innings to clinch Team USA’s first shutout of the tournament.
• The Eagles combined for six hits in the win, with Abdullah, Barge, Boulware, Kim, Lapuaho, and South each with one.
• The U.S. combined for 6 hits in the win (five singles and one double) while averaging a .375 batting average.
• Barge, Kim, and Lapuaho each got their first appearance in the Red, White and Blue, along with their first Team USA career start.

GAME 2: USA 10, China 0

BOX SCORE: 

TEAM USA STARTERS: 

Stevie South (CF), Aspen Boulware (RF), Anabela Abdullah (SS), Aubrey McLaughlin (1B), Torynn Slaughter (LF), Taegan Lermann (DP), Sam Alekman (C), Isabella Barge (2B), Madelyn Armendariz (3B), Macie Bryant (P)

WINNING PITCHER: 

Macie Bryant (1-0)

RELIEF:

Taegan Lermann

BATTING LEADERS:

• Aspen Boulware (2-2, 2 singles, 2 RBI)
• Stevie South (3-3, 3 singles, 3 runs scored)

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

Getting the start in the circle against China, Macie Bryant came out firing with three-straight K’s in the top of the first to send the U.S. to the plate. The Eagles were quick to get on the board, credited to a lead-off single from South, followed by singles from Boulware, Abdullah, and Aubrey McLaughlin to put the U.S. on top, 2-0. Taegan Lermann then sent a fly ball to center to plate two more runs, improving the lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the first. The Red, White and Blue remained hot at the plate, tacking on two more runs in the bottom of the second thanks to a pair of ground balls from McLaughlin and Torynn Slaughter, followed by a series of singles from Addison Otto, Boulware and Abdullah in the bottom of the third that extended the U.S. lead, 10-0. Taegan Lermann joined the U.S. defense in the top of the fourth, striking out the first three batters she faced to close out the run-rule victory for the Eagles.

GAME NOTES:

• Today’s wins advance the Eagles to the first-ever U-15 Utsugi Cup Championship.
• Bryant fanned eight batters through 3 innings, allowing only one batter to make contact.
• The U.S. combined for 11 hits with 9-of-10 batters reaching base at least once.

The U.S. will face Japan tomorrow in the championship game at 1 p.m. JST (11 p.m. CT).