U-15 Pan American Games: Team USA Beats Mexico 14-0, Teams Meet Again in Gold Medal Game Today

*** Information & photos courtesy of USA Softball…

Team USA capped the Super Round of play at the 2023 Women’s Pan American Championship in Lima, Peru on Friday by doing what they’ve done all week: shutout pitching and double-digit scoring by the explosive offensive.

The heavily favored Americans bat Mexico 14-0 to advance to the Gold Medal Game on Saturday to face, once again, Mexico. Who do you think has the confidence going into this game?

Especially since the Red, White & Blue have outscored their opponents in seven games by a total of 104 to 0. Do the dividing and that’s almost 15 runs per game on average.

The title game between USA and Mexico will begin today (Saturday, April 8) at 4.30 pm CT and will be live streamed.

Click here to view the schedule, roster, stats, live streaming and more as provided by USA Softball.

Below are the details from Game 7, the first of two in a row for both teams, as Team USA shutout its neighbors to the south

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FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2023 – SUPER ROUND

USA 14, Mexico 0

TEAM USA STARTERS: 

• Stevie South (CF), Aspen Boulware (RF), Anabela Abdullah (SS), Addison Otto (3B), Aubrey McLaughlin (1B), Riley Staats (DP), Brooklyn Paratore (C), Torynn Slaughter (LF), Jordyn Johnsen (2B), Lily Pullen (P)

WINNING PITCHER:    

• Lily Pullen (2-0)

BATTING LEADERS:     

• Aubrey McLaughlin (2-2, 2 singles, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI)
• Addison Otto (2-2, single, double, 3 runs scored, 2 RBI)
• Brooklyn Paratore (1-1, double, 1 run scored, 2 RBI)

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

The Eagles once again wasted no time getting things started in the bottom of the first thanks to a pair of sac-fly’s from Anabela Abdullah and Otto to score two, followed by a fielding miscue from the Mexico left fielder that allowed three more to score and put the U.S. on top, 5-0.

Despite a quiet second at-bat, the Red, White and Blue came out swinging in the bottom of the third with three-straight singles leading off the inning followed by a double from Brooklyn Paratore to score two and a ground ball single from Torynn Slaughter paired with an error to plate two more and extend the U-15 WNT lead, 9-0.

Stevie South then singled on a hard ground ball to add another one before a line drive single from Abdullah tacked on one more.

Continuing to pressure the defense with runners on first and third, Abdullah forced a throw down to second in an attempt to steal while allowing Boulware to speed home for another U.S. run and extend the lead, 12-0.

The Eagles closed out the bottom of the third with a double from Otto and a sac-fly from McLaughlin that plated the final two runs of the game before Pullen and the U.S. defense sealed the run-rule with a line out, fly out and strikeout in the top of the fourth.

GAME NOTES:

• Today’s win marks Team USA’s seventh-straight run-rule victory, advancing the Eagles to the first-ever U-15 WBSC Pan American Championship.
• Otto and McLaughlin both recorded their second-straight 2-for-2 game.
• Following today’s game, South (10 RBI) joins Otto (13 RBI) and Abdullah (14 RBI) with a double-digit RBI total.
• Pullen fanned six Mexico batters, increasing her overall strikeouts to 15 through two starts.
• The U.S. combined for 11 hits with 8-of-9 batters reaching base at least once.

OPENING & SUPER ROUND NOTES:

• Shutout each of its opponents in run-rule fashion through opening and super round, five of which were no hitters.
• Concluded Super Round with .573 team batting average while outscoring opponents 104-0.
• U.S. offense tallied 42 singles, 25 doubles, eight triples and seven home runs through seven contests.
• Otto (.714) 5, South (.706) and Abdullah (.611) lead the U.S. offense through seven games with South and Abdullah each holding a seven-game hit streak.
• Team USA is the only team to record a home run in the tournament.
• U.S. pitching staff totaled 55 strikeouts and two hits through seven games with zero runs allowed.
• Doty (18 strikeouts), Pullen (15 strikeouts) and Bryant (15 strikeouts) lead the U.S. pitching staff through seven games.
• Limited opponent batting average to .025 with 84 batters faced.

BOX SCORE:

PREVIOUS GAMES:

• To read our intro article to the Pan Am Games, click HERE.
• To read the complete story of the Game 1 win over Peru, click HERE.
• To read the complete story of the Game 2 win over Columbia, click HERE.
• To read the complete story of the Game 3 win over Guatemala, click HERE.
• To read the complete story of the Game 4 win over Brazil, click HERE.
• To read the complete story of the Game 5 win over Puerto Rico, click HERE.
• To read the complete story of the Game 6 win over Venezuela, click HERE.