10-11-2011 October 11 2011 Update

OCTOBER 11 UPDATE

COMMITMENTS
Tina Schulz – P/1B – Louisianna State University Eunice – Lamar University

WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

USA Softball Women’s National team captures two wins over Aggies; May records two-run homer for local collegiate fans

 COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The USA Softball Women’s National team captured two exhibition victories on Monday evening against the Texas A&M University Aggies at the Aggie Softball Complex.  As preparation for the upcoming Pan American Games October 17-23 in Guadalajara, Mexico, the USA held the Aggies scoreless recording a 3-0 win in game one and a large late 12-2 victory in game two.   

Up next the U.S. team will battle the University of Houston at the Cougar Softball Complex on Tuesday, October 11 at 7 p.m. CST. Following the game, both teams will be available for autographs. Live Stats for the USA vs. Houston game will be available at http://www.uhcougars.com/gametracker/launch/?event=1044472&school=hou&sport=wsoftbl&

GAME ONE: USA 3 TEXAS A&M 0
The USA garnered a 3-0 victory with Whitney Canion (Aledo, Texas) earning the shutout victory tossing four complete innings allowing just two hits and four strikeouts in 16 batters faced.  Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif.) closed out the final three innings for the USA team tallying seven strikeouts and one hit.

The U.S. jumped ahead in the top of the first inning taking a 1-0 advantage thanks to a leadoff single from Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) that was followed by a Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.) RBI double to right field. Quiet in the second, the U.S. added a security run in the third inning when third baseman Stacy May-Johnson (Reno, Nev.) contributed an RBI single and plated Ashley Holcombe (Fayetteville, Ga.) who reached on a hit. The Red, White and Blue inked its third and final run in the sixth inning for the eventual 3-0 differential.  Returner Jenae Leles (Sacramento, Calif.), in the lineup as the designated hitter, drove in an RBI double scoring Cochran who earlier notched a single. Cochran and Moultrie led the roster with two hits each as May-Johnson, Cochran and Leles each added an RBI on the stat sheet. A&M starting pitcher Mel Dumezich was saddled with the loss while Tyler, Walker and Shannon earned the three Aggie hits of the game.  The home team left seven runners stranded in the contest.

GAME TWO: USA 12 TEXAS A&M 2
Southpaw Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) tossed a gem in game two of the doubleheader match up recording nine straight strikeouts in four innings pitched as the USA claimed a 12-2 decisive victory.  Meagan May (Spring, Texas), a current player on the Aggie collegiate roster who recently earned a spot on Team USA as a catcher, roped a two-run home run in the second against collegiate battery mate Lindsey Sisk to give the USA the early 2-0 lead.The U.S. added another run in the third before Leles moved the U.S. in front 5-0 with one swing of the bat with a homer to leftfield in the sixth.  The round-tripper advanced Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) who reached thanks to a walk. A two RBI single from Aggie Sisk in the bottom of the sixth saw the first Aggie runs of the evening yet still a 5-2 USA advantage. The Red, White and Blue opened up the contest in the top of the seventh inning scoring seven runs for what was the ultimate 12-2 triumph.

Leading the way in the game was May who was 2-for-4 with three RBI and second baseman Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md.) who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.  May-Johnson had one hit and earned a base on balls on three different occasions.

USA Softball enters the Pan American Games following a Gold Medal finish at World Cup of Softball VI in Oklahoma City, marking the fifth straight World Cup title for the Americans. Team USA has won seven Pan American Championships (1979, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007) including the last six. The program has a record of 78-3 since softball debuted in the 1979 Pan American Games.

Over 4,000 Earn Title of 2011 NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete
10/06/11 – NFCA Release

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Over 4,000 student-athletes representing 707 different academic institutions were named as a 2011 NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete, the Association announced Thursday.

The award is given to any player submitted by a member coach who achieved a 3.50 grade point average or higher during the 2010-11 academic year. The award is the second component of the Association’s academic award program. Last week, the teams with the highest GPAs in each membership category were recognized as a 2011 NFCA Top Ten All-Academic team.

This year’s total of 4,337 honorees bested last year’s total by over 30 student-athletes. The membership category with the most participating institutions this year was Division III with 168, while high school led the way in total honorees with 1,160.

For a complete listing of 2010-11 All-Academic Teams and All-America Scholar Athletes, log on to NFCA.org