RANKINGS
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There was so much going on in softball this week with the exciting Women’s College World Series wrapping up and the 2021 travel ball summer hitting full stride.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Women’s National Team preparation for the fast-approaching Tokyo Olympic Games continued as Team USA finished up its four-game series with pro team USSSA Pride and then moved to Texas for a series which started with an assembled team of collegians called Team Alliance.
Here’s a look at the week that was for the Americans as the winning streak continued…
- Click HERE to read about Game 1 against USSSA Pride which took place on Wednesday, June 2.
- Click HERE to read about Games 2 & 3 of the USSSA Pride series held on Friday June 4 & Sunday June 6, 2020
Below are recaps of the Games 2 & 3 of the four-game series with the final contest of the four-game series against the Pride taking place at Cowgirl Stadium today (Monday, June 7) at 12 p.m. CT.
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Monday, June 7: Team USA posts 4-3 come-from-behind victory to sweep four-game series against USSSA Pride
The USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) overcame a two-run deficit to post a 4-3 (eight innings) come-from-behind win against the USSSA Pride, sweeping the four-game series and improving to 15-0 on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB).
The Pride maintained a two-run lead through the first three innings of the game until the U.S. began chipping away in the fourth and fifth innings with solo home runs from Hannah Flippen (San Diego, Calif.) and Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.).
Team USA put two runners on in the top of the first with a leadoff walk to Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) and a hit-by-pitch to Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif,), but was sent to defense after two strikeouts and a pop out ended the at-bat. Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) started in the circle for the U.S. and got two quick outs to start the inning, but back-to-back home runs would put the Pride up 2-0.
The #USASoftball Women's National Team 🇺🇸 claimed a 4-3 extra inning win over the USSSA Pride to close out the four-game series.
RECAP » https://t.co/UutkYHwsNT#StandBesideHerTour | #MLB pic.twitter.com/9IqgxH7ojG
— USA Softball Women's National Team 🇺🇸 (@USASoftballWNT) June 8, 2021
The U.S. put another pair of runners on base in the top of the second with a leadoff single from Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) and a walk from Flippen. A two-out single from McCleney would load the bases for the Eagles, but the runners were left stranded after a pop out ended the inning. Osterman found her groove in the bottom of the frame and made quick work of the Pride with two strikeouts and a ground out.
Neither side mustered any runs in the third inning, but a solo long ball from Flippen in the top of the fourth would cut the Pride lead to one. Back-to-back singles from McCleney and Aguilar would look to continue the rally, but a deep fly ball to center field would retire the inning with Team USA trailing, 2-1.
A 1-2-3 inning from Osterman in the bottom of the frame brought the U.S. back to the plate for Chidester to send a ball out of the park and even the score, 2-2. Another walk and hit-by-pitch would put the go-ahead run in scoring position, but the Eagles failed to bring anything across the plate.
Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) entered to pitch for Team USA in the bottom of the fifth, shutting down the Pride’s offense with two ground outs and a fly out. Both offenses stayed quiet during the sixth and seventh innings, sending the game into extra innings with the score knotted, 2-2.
The International Tie Breaker (ITB) came into effect in the eighth, putting Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) on second base to start the inning. A sac bunt by Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.) followed by a sac fly from McCleney allowed Stewart to score the go-ahead run for Team USA, giving the Eagles a 3-2 edge.
A single from Aguilar followed by a double from Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) would give the U.S. an insurance run, but a fly out ended the inning with Team USA on top, 4-2.
With the ITB still in play, the Pride plated a run with a single to left field, but a 6-4-3 double play would seal the 4-3 come-from-behind victory for the Red, White and Blue.
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Members of the 2020-21 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) next arrived in Midland, Texas— home of the Midland RockHounds, a minor league baseball Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics—as the team continued preparations on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB) with two doubleheaders one on Friday, June 11 and one on Saturday, June 11.
In Midland, the Red, White and Blue faced four exhibition contests against “Team Alliance”, which is made up of 18 collegiate and two professional athletes supported by The Alliance Fastpitch member leagues.
Collegiate athletes competing with Team Alliance include Sis Bates (Washington), Georgina Corrick (USF), Carrie Eberle (Oklahoma State), Taylor Ellsworth (Texas), Montana Fouts (Alabama), Kamryn Gibbs (Lubbock Christian), Lou Gilbert (Baylor), Karlie Hamilton (Texas Tech), Skylar Herrera (Lubbock Christian), Janae Jefferson (Texas), Baylee Klinger (Washington), Kayla Kowalik (Kentucky), Tyla Lee (Lubbock Christian), Kelly Maxwell (Oklahoma State), Meghan Schorman (Kentucky), Macy Simmons (Arizona State), Savannah Wysocki (Lubbock Christian) and Missy Zoch (Texas Tech) while Aubrey Leach and Kiki Stokes from Athletes Unlimited also join the roster for the doubleheader matchups.
The Midland “Stand Beside Her” tour stop also marks the first time in the 2021 season that the entire Red, White and Blue squad will compete together, with Bubba Nickles (Merced, Calif.), Rachel Garcia (Palmdale, Calif.) and Dejah Mulipola (Garden Grove, Calif.) joining the Women’s National Team after concluding their collegiate seasons.
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Friday, June 11: Team USA posts two wins in Midland on “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by MLB
Team USA came out on top in the first two games of a four-game series against Team Alliance in Midland, Texas as the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB), returned to action at Momentum Bank Ballpark.
In their first contest of the day, the USA Softball Women’s National Team defeated Team Alliance 7-5 before producing a 4-0 shutout win to finish the night.
The U.S. started out hot in both games, with home runs in each of the first innings off the bats of Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.) and Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.). Those accounted for two of the five home runs Team USA hit on the day, contributing to their 14 total hits.
Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) led the U.S. pitching staff with 13 strikeouts, tossing a complete game shutout – her second in the month of June.
Game One: Team USA 7, Team Alliance 5
Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) got the start for the U.S. in game one and kept Team Alliance off the board in the top of the first. This set the stage for Team USA to take an early 2-0 lead after a walk from Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) and a two-run shot from Chidester.
Team Alliance chipped away at that lead in the top of the second with a solo home run, making it 2-1, but Ricketts came back with three straight ground outs to give the bats back to the U.S.
The Red, White and Blue took advantage of another opportunity after a leadoff double from Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.). Taylor Edwards (Murrieta, Calif.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Moultrie to third, and Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) finished the job with a hard ground ball to the right side to put the U.S. up 3-1.
That lead didn’t last long, however, as Team Alliance responded with a grand slam in the top of the third. Ricketts fired back with a strike out to end the inning, but not before Team Alliance stole the lead, 5-3.
Aguilar got things going again for the U.S. in the bottom of the third with a double to center. After Chidester reached first on a drop third strike to put two runners on, Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) tied the game by finding a gap that allowed both runners to score.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth innings were quiet for both teams. Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) entered to pitch in the fifth for the U.S. and effectively kept Team Alliance from scoring despite a few base hits.
A 1-2-3 inning from Carda in the seventh gave Team USA the momentum in the bottom of the frame. A leadoff single from Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) got things going, and Arioto clinched the victory with a walk-off home run over the left field fence, making the final score 7-5, Team USA.
Game Two: Team USA 4, Team Alliance 0
Game two started out much like game one for Team USA, with Aguilar going deep to center field after a single from McCleney to put the U.S. up 2-0 in the first inning.
Abbott started in the circle and let one runner on in the bottom of the frame, but quickly came back with two strikeouts to take control of the game. A 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second gave the ball back to Abbott, who continued dominating with three more strikeouts to retire the side.
Both teams got a baserunner in the third inning, but solid defensive work kept the score 2-0, Team USA. That changed when Dejah Mulipola (Garden Grove, Calif.) stepped in the box in the top of the fourth. She crushed the second pitch she saw out of the park to extend the U.S. lead, 3-0. The Red, White and Blue got another base runner after a walk to Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.), but was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Abbott continued dealing in the circle, collecting her seventh strike out of the game in the bottom of the fourth.
McCleney led off the top of the fifth with a solo shot to left field to tally another run for Team USA. Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.) followed with an infield single, but was left stranded on the bases after a ground out and two strike outs. The U.S. made quick work of Team Alliance in the bottom of the frame with Abbott racking up two more strikeouts and Munro throwing out a runner at second base.
The sixth inning brought minimal action to the field with the U.S. maintaining a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. Team Alliance led off the inning with a bunt to put a runner on first base, and the threat continued after a bloop single fell behind the short stop position to give Team Alliance runners on first and second with two outs.
Abbott zoned in, however, and quickly shut down Team Alliance with her thirteenth strikeout of the day to give the U.S. a 4-0 win.
The USA WNT will take on Team Alliance in another exhibition doubleheader today (Saturday, June 12 at 5:30 p.m. CT). Gates will open at 4 p.m. CT. Game two will take place approximately 35 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Live streaming and stats will be available at USASoftball.com.
Tickets are available for purchase at midlandrockhounds.org or can be purchased at the ballpark box office upon arrival on June 12.