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USA Softball: Week 3 of Stand Beside Her Tour Sees Closest Game Yet… Plus, Cat Pitches a No-Hitter at Mary Nutter!

Team USA & Univ. of Arizona after February 18 game in Tucson. Photo – Mike Christy: Univ. of Arizona Athletics.

The “Stand Beside Her” tour presented by Major League Baseball (MLB) saw Team USA play its closest game yet in Tucson in Tuesday and then travel to Cathedral City, California to play four games in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic including a Sunday matchup against National Champion UCLA.

Here are the highlights from the week of February 17-23, 2020…

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USA 5, ARIZONA 4 (Feb. 18)

It was a Red, White and Blue evening as a sold-out crowd of 2,941 packed Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium to watch the 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) take on the hometown favorites, the No. 5 Arizona Wildcats. In the closest contest played on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB), Team USA was tested late in the game as the Wildcat bats connected for four runs, the most given up by the U.S. in their 10-0 start.

Team USA drove in all five of their runs in the first three innings of the game with Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.) bringing in four-of-five runs. Dejah Mulipola (Garden Grove, Calif.), who was welcomed back to Tucson with a resounding cheer from the Wildcat faithful, drove in the final run of the game for the U.S., a run which proved to be the deciding factor. The battery of Mulipola and Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) kept Arizona off the board until the fourth inning, while three runs by Arizona in the fifth made the game interesting. Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) and Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) quieted the Wildcats in the final two frames.

How they scored:

Top of the first: Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) extended her on-base streak with a bunt for a single and moved to second on a walk to Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.). Aguilar crushed a ball over the centerfield fence for her first home run of the tour, putting Team USA up by three.

Top of the second: Mulipola reached on an error and advanced to second on a single up the middle by Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.). McCleney’s second hit of the game loaded the bases until Aguilar hit a sac fly to right field to plate Mulipola.

Top of the third: Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.) picked up her first hit of the game with a leadoff single and moved to second on a single by Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.). A sac bunt by Bubba Nickles (Merced, Calif.) advanced the runners a bag and Mulipola drove a ball through the left side of the infield to plate Chidester.

Bottom of the fourth: A leadoff solo home run by Arizona’s Jessie Harper put the Wildcats on the board.

Bottom of the fifth: The Wildcat bats came alive to plate three runs after a leadoff single and walk put two on base. Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) issued a strikeout for the first out before a three-run home run by Harper, her second home run of the game, brought Arizona within one run.

Notables:

  • McCleney and Chidester finished the contest with two hits apiece while Aguilar drove in four runs. Aguilar’s four RBI tonight tied for a single game-high on the tour.
  • Osterman finished with eight strikeouts and just two hits and one run allowed in four innings for the win. Carda issued two strikeouts with three runs allowed while Ricketts struck out three batters in one and one-third innings of work. Abbott tossed three strikeouts in the final frame to earn the save.
  • It was a night full of Olympians, honoring Arizona’s rich Olympic history in partnership with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) #OlympiansMadeHere campaign.
    • In addition to current WNT members Abbott and Osterman, USA Softball Olympians and Arizona legends Jennie Finch, Lovie Jung, Leah O’Brien-Amico, Nicole Giordano, Alicia Hollowell and Caitlin Lowe, who is the Associate Head Coach at Arizona, each attended tonight’s contest.
    • The contest also pitted 2020 WNT Head Coach Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla./Head Coach at USF) against his mentor and two-time Olympic Softball Team Head Coach and current Arizona Head Coach, Mike Candrea.
  • McCleney has now reached base safely in each contest played on the tour. Second on the team in batting average (.522), McCleney leads the offense with 10 runs scored.
  • Aguilar continues to deal in the three-spot in the lineup. Driving in nearly a quarter of Team USA’s runs on the tour, Aguilar has had four, multi-RBI games on the tour and leads the team with a .583 average and .645 on-base percentage.

MARY NUTTER COLLEGIATE CLASSIC

USA 10, New Mexico 1 (Feb. 20)

Team USA opened the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a 10-1 (five innings) win over New Mexico. With four U.S. batters having a multi-RBI game, Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) limited the Lobos to just two hits and one run in the complete-game win. Team USA now moves to 11-0 on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Red, White and Blue offense put runs on the board in each inning of the contest, but it was a four-run fourth inning that put the game away for good. The core of the U.S. lineup, Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.), Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.) and Bubba Nickles (Merced, Calif.), combined to drive in six of the 10 runs on the evening with Aguilar extending her team-leading RBI total to 16.

How they scored:

Bottom of the first: Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.) walked to start the game and moved to second on a sac bunt by Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.). Aguilar connected for the long ball on the first pitch of her at-bat, putting Team USA up by two early.

Top of the second: New Mexico’s Andrea Howard cut the lead to one run with a solo home run to start off the second inning.

Bottom of the second: Hannah Flippen (San Diego, Calif.) was hit by a pitch and moved to second after a walk to Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.). Back-to-back strikeouts looked to bring the inning to a close until a walk to Carda loaded the bases and a wild pitch allowed Flippen to score.

Bottom of the third: Two walks put a pair of runners on for Flippen, who singled to left field to drive in a run.

Bottom of the fourth: Reed led off with a double and a walk to Stewart put two on with no outs. A popup and strikeout kept the runners at bay until Nickles singled with a fly ball to center to plate a pair of runs. Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) doubled to put runners on the corners for Flippen, who sent the ball to the left-center gap for another two runs.

Bottom of the fifth: Up 8-1 over the Lobos, Reed singled and moved to third on a double by Stewart. An error by the New Mexico defense loaded the bases for Chidester, who punched a ball up the middle to drive in two runs and end the game via the run-rule.

Notables:

  • Reed and Flippen finished the evening with two hits apiece. Carda earned the win in the circle, striking out nine batters while allowing just one run in five innings.
  • After giving up the solo home run in the top of the second, Carda took control in the circle, limiting the Lobos to just two base runners while dealing six of her nine strikeouts through the remainder of the contest.

USA 14, UNIV. of SAN DIEGO 0 (Feb. 21)

Team USA blasted three home runs, including a grand slam by Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.), as the U.S. captured a 14-0 (five innings) win over San Diego at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Combining for 13 hits, Team USA sealed the win with a seven-run fourth inning to move to 12-0 on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB).

Three Red, White and Blue batters sent one out of the park in tonight’s win. Arioto connected for the first long ball of the game, a bases-clearing no-doubter, while Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) hit a three-run shot and Taylor Edwards (Murrieta, Calif.) blasted a two-run homer. Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) pitched Team USA to their seventh shutout win of the tour in the complete-game win.

How they scored:

Bottom of the first: The U.S. wasted no time at the plate as Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.) walked, moved to second on a single from Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) and a walk to Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.) loaded the bases. On a 3-1 pitch, Arioto sent the ball out to put Team USA up 4-0.

Bottom of the third: A walk put the leadoff runner on base, but a fielder’s choice and fly ball kept the runner at bay. Dejah Mulipola (Garden Grove, Calif.) advanced Bubba Nickles (Merced, Calif.) to second until Edwards connected for her third home run of the tour to make it 7-0.

Bottom of the fourth: The U.S. broke the game open after Reed’s second walk of the game and scored after Stewart tripled. A string of singles by Aguilar, Arioto and Nickles brought home three more runs for Team USA. Mulipola continued the offense with a single to put two on for Carda, who connected on an 0-2 pitch for a home run.

Notables:

  • Arioto, Mulipola, Nickles and Stewart each had two hits in the contest while Arioto led the offense with five RBI. Ricketts finished with four strikeouts and three hits allowed in five innings of work in the circle.
  • Aguilar extended her hit streak to six-consecutive games on the tour after tonight’s win over San Diego.
  • Edwards leads the offense with three home runs and a 1.556 slugging percentage on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by MLB. All but one of Edwards’ hits on the tour have been out of the park.

USA 9, UTAH 0 (Feb. 22)

Team USA’s Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) tossed a 13-strikeout no-hitter as the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) defeated Utah 9-0 (five innings).

Capitalizing on five walks by the Utah pitching staff, Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.) got the U.S. on the board in the bottom of the second with a two-run blast to spark the offense. The game was also highlighted by an #OlympiansMadeHere homecoming for Hannah Flippen (San Diego, Calif.), who graduated from Utah in 2017 after a storied career with the Utes.

Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.), Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.) and Munro each picked up two RBI in the contest with all but two batters recording a hit in the win. With the win, the U.S. moves to 13-0 on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB).

How they scored:

Bottom of the second: A leadoff walk to Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) put a runner on for Munro, who squared up on an 0-1 count to record her first home run of the tour. Back-to-back singles by Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.) and Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) continued the offense and RBI singles by Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) and Aguilar brought three runs across the plate.

The offense was relentless, as a walk to Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) put one on for Chidester, who sent a ball to the right-center gap for an RBI double. Flippen drove in the final run of the at-bat with a sac fly to right field, plating Moultrie who had singled in her second at-bat of the inning.

Bottom of the third: Reed singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. A walk to Stewart put runners on the corners for Arioto, who reached on a popup in the infield to bring Reed home.

Notables:

  • Osterman had a tour-high 13 strikeouts on the night, tossing five scoreless innings for just the second no-hitter by the U.S. pitching staff of the tour. Her 13 strikeouts also tie a tour single-game high by the staff, with Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) having previously fanned 13 batters in a contest against Florida earlier in the tour.
  • Aguilar has reached in seven-consecutive contests on the tour while McCleney has reached base safely in her last nine appearances. Aguilar leads the team with 18 RBI while Munro joins six other batters who have homered on the tour.
USA 9, UCLA (Feb. 23)

Trailing for the first time on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by Major League Baseball (MLB), Team USA overcame a two-run deficit to post a 9-3 win over reigning NCAA National Champion, No. 1 UCLA. With the stands full of a hometown crowd cheering on the Bruins, the U.S. bats stayed hot throughout the seven-inning contest as the offense recorded a hit in every inning played.

It was a special contest as UCLA alum’s Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.), Rachel Garcia (Palmdale, Calif.), Bubba Nickles (Merced, Calif.) and Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) presented UCLA Head Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez with a commemorative Team USA jacket to honor her role in their Olympic journey.

“Twenty-six days together allows for a lot of things to happen on the softball field,” said WNT Head Coach, Ken Eriksen. “Twenty-six days together helps us find our team personality in respect to how we approach this tour, how we approach our training and how we approach our competition. I was excited to see a lot of things come to fruition in the last four days of the tour. We appreciate all that our hosts have done over the last 26 days for us and hopefully we can make them proud going forward.”

Home runs by Dejah Mulipola (Garden Grove, Calif.) and Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) tied up the ballgame before the U.S. put the game away for good in the top of the sixth inning. Nearly every batter in the game for Team USA recorded a hit in the win, with Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.), Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.), Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.), Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.) and Stewart having multiple hits.

How they scored:

Top of the first: McCleney led off the game with a double over the left fielder’s head and scored on a single to right field by Aguilar.

Bottom of the first: UCLA put up three runs in the bottom of the frame to take a two-run lead. A leadoff single by Kinsley Washington and double by Briana Perez tied up the ballgame until Maya Brady homered over the left field fence to put UCLA up 3-1.

Top of the fifth: Stewart led off the top of the fifth inning with a solo home run to bring the game within one run.

Top of the sixth: The U.S. exploded for five runs to take the lead for good. A solo home run by Mulipola tied up the ballgame and a double by Carda continued the offense with one out. Carda scored on a single by Reed and a sac fly from McCleney allowed Reed to score to make it a 5-3 game.

Stewart singled, advanced to third on a double by Aguilar and a single up the middle by Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) extended Team USA’s lead to four runs.

Top of the seventh: A leadoff single by Moultrie and walk to Mulipola put two runners on and a sac bunt by Carda moved both into scoring position. A sac fly by pinch hitter, Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.), put the Red, White and Blue up by five runs and a single by McCleney made it 9-3 in favor of Team USA.

Notables:

  • Stewart had a monstrous day at the plate with a 4-for-5 outing, tying a single-game high for hits for the U.S.
  • After entering in the bottom of the second inning, Abbott dealt straight heat. Striking out 14 batters in six innings of work, Abbott set the single-game high in strikeouts for the U.S. pitching staff.
  • McCleney continues to be a threat in the leadoff spot in the lineup. Reaching base at least once in each game she’s played on the tour, McCleney leads the offense with a .517 average. Aguilar has also been on base in the past nine contests played in the three-spot in the lineup and leads the offense with 19 RBI.
  • Abbott has amassed 68 strikeouts so far on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, presented by MLB. Averaging at least two strikeouts per innings pitched, Abbott has yet to allow a run to cross the plate in seven appearances in the circle.
  • #OlympiansMadeHere – Olympic Medals were on the field of play today as UCLA Assistant Coach Lisa Fernandez, a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, joined 2020 WNT members Abbott, Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) and development coach for Team USA Kelly Kretschman, as Olympians. In total, five Olympic Gold Medals and three Olympic Silver Medals were represented during the contest.

*****

The “Stand Beside Her” tour is a series of competitions and The “Stand Beside Her” message encourages fans everywhere to stand united in their support of the WNT and the United States in their journey to the Olympic Games.

The tour kicked off February 4 with the USA squad and runs through the summer right up to the start of the Tokyo games.

The 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) has announced over the last few months several additional stops on its Stand Beside Her Tour featuring a series of competitions and training opportunities for the 2020 USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) as it prepares for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Olympic competition will start July 22, 2020 with the Gold Medal Game being played on July 28.

*** Click Here to see the USA Olympic Team Roster

As created and first announced in August by USA Softball, the Stand Beside Her tour “evokes a powerful message of unity aimed to inspire communities to stand beside HER – the members of the WNT, America and the future generation of female athletes.”

Currently there are 36 stops on the tour hitting 18 states and extending from February 4 to June 25 prior to this summer’s Olympic Games.

Stand Beside Her Tour Stops & Scores (as of Feb. 23, 2020)

Click on the “Event/Location” links to get info on how to purchase tickets.

Date Event/Location  Results City ST
February 4 Univ. of South Florida USA 3, South Florida 0 Tampa FL
February 7 NFCA Div. I Leadoff Classic USA 4, Mississippi State 0 Clearwater FL
February 7 NFCA Div. I Leadoff Classic USA 11, Illinois 0 Clearwater FL
February 8 NFCA Div. I Leadoff Classic USA 9, Baylor 1 Clearwater FL
February 8 NFCA Div. I Leadoff Classic USA 7, Kentucky 0 Clearwater FL
February 9 NFCA Div. I Leadoff Classic USA 5, Texas State 2 Clearwater FL
February 11 Univ. of Florida USA 5, Florida 3 Gainesville FL
February 12 St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational USA 18, Liberty 0 Clearwater FL
St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational USA 4, Oklahoma State 0 Clearwater FL
February 18 Univ. of Arizona USA 5, Arizona 4 Tucson AZ
February 20 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic USA 10, New Mexico 1 Cathedral City CA
February 21 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic USA 14, Univ. of San Diego 0 Cathedral City CA
February 22 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic USA 9, Utah 0 Cathedral City CA
February 23 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic USA 9, UCLA 3 Cathedral City CA
March 8 Cal State San Marcos & UC San Diego Irvine CA
March 10 CSUN & San Diego State San Diego CA
March 12 Univ. of Washington Seattle WA
March 17 Portland State & Oregon State Hillsboro OR
March 18 Southern Oregon & Univ. of Oregon Eugene OR
March 31 Univ. of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL
April 1 Auburn Univ.  Auburn AL
April 3 South Commons Softball Complex Columbus GA
April 5 Twin Creeks Softball Complex Woodstock GA
April 7 Jim Frost Stadium at Warner Park Chattanooga TN
April 8 Univ. of Tennessee Knoxville TN
April 15 Louisiana Tech & Louisiana-Monroe Shreveport LA
April 18 Constellation Field Sugarland TX
April 21-23 Okla. Christian, North Texas, Abilene Christian, Texas Woman’s Univ. Dallas TX
April 25 Lubbock Christian Midland TX
May 1 MLB Urban Youth Academy Kansas City MO
May 3 CarShield Field St. Louis MO
May 17 Sutter Health Park Sacramento CA
May 19 San Jose State Salinas CA
May 30 TVA Credit Union Ballpark Johnson City TN
June 3 Killian Softball Stadium Springfield MO
June 5 Heindle Field DuBois PA
June 7 Brookside Park Ashland OH
June 9 Dow Diamond Midland MI
June 10 Secchia Stadium East Lansing MI
June 18 Martin Field Lowell MA
June 19 Stratford Brakettes Stratford CT
June 21 Wall Township Municipal Complex Wall Township NJ
June 23 Cal Seniors Park-The Ripken Experience Aberdeen MD
June 25 Salem All-Stars Salem VA

Here is a visual map of all the places Team USA will play on the Stand Beside Her Tour:

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For more information on the “Stand Beside Her” tour, you can visit StandBesideHerTour.com.

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