USA DEFEATS GLORY
The Washington Glory, champions of the NPF, challenged the USA Olympic team in front of the largest (8,724) non-Olympic event in the history of the United States Olympic team, on Saturday night at Baysox Stadium in Bowie, Md. This was the kind of game in which both teams learned a lot about themselves as a team and individuals, to the delight of the overflowing, very enthusiastic crowd, drawn from throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
Attendance was just shy of the record, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, 8,750 people were in attendance at the gold medal game as the U.S. defeated China 3-1 for their first Olympic Gold. The previous pre-Olympic tour record attendance was 7,245 in Lake Jackson, Texas in 1996.
USA prevailed 2-0, but for five innings, it was 0-0, toe to toe.
Jessica Moore got the first hit, in the top of the 3rd, off USA starter Monica Abbott. Kelly Kretschman was the first USA base runner, drawing a walk in the 2nd. USA nailed its first hit in the bottom half, Lauren Lappin hitting a single off starter Sarah Pauly.
Scoreless through four innings, Osterman found herself in a jam in the top of
the fifth. A two-out double down the left field line by Glory’s Sara Larquier
put a runner on board before a wild pitch third strike sent Stephanie Best to
first base and pinch runner Bianca Cruz to third. With runners on the corners,
Cat Osterman did was she does best and recorded her sixth strikeout to silence
the Glory.
USA broke the scoring ice in the bottom of the 6th, after Amy Harre relieved
Pauly. Lappin reached on an error to lead off the at-bat. Caitlin
Lowe beat out a hit to short. Natasha Watley, who had two hits tonight,
singled in the first run. With two out Kelly Kretschman drew a walk,
loading the bases. Andrea Duran walked, forcing in the second run.
The top of the seventh brought the winning run to the plate for the Glory after
back-to-back singles by Nichole Thompson and Larquier, but Finch sealed the
victory closing the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
Lefty Monica Abbott (Salina, Calif.) started the game strong for the U.S.
completing two innings retiring six straight with five
strikeouts and a foul out to catcher Stacey Nuveman (La Verne, Calif.). It was
then the pitching of Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) that kept the Glory hitters
off balance as she finished with three innings and six strikeouts. Righty
Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) was the pitcher of record tossing the sixth and
seventh allowing three hits and two strikeouts.
Beginning Sunday, the U.S. will take a four-day break traveling home before
the Northern California portion of the tour begins on Friday, May 16 in Visaila,
Calif. Game time 8 p.m. PST.
NOTE: On Sunday, eight members of the USA Softball Women’s National team will be honored at the Washington Nationals game. The team is being hosted by the Women’s Sports Foundation and will attend batting practice and pre-game ceremonies.
After the game, Lappin told reporters the team was "pumped" to play Glory, the NPF champion. "They put great pressure on our pitchers and batters." Lappin said the team was thrilled to be in the large stadium and playing in front of such an enthusiastic crowd. Like Watley and Abbott, who followed her to the press area, Lappin praised the Glory for their intensity and competitiveness, one of the most competitive teams USA has faced. Abbott added that "games like this do so much for our sport."
Coach Mike Candrea said the USA team needs to meet good competition, and he expects more challenges when they play NPF All Stars and two foreign teams before leaving for Beijing. These games, he said, tell us where we are in our preparation for the Olympics. Even with a mostly veteran squad who know what it takes, Candrea said, coaches have to work hard to keep the energy level up, playing every game as though the score were 0-0 when it might be 15-0. It was good that the USA team responded to the Glory challenge; in big games, the adrenaline takes over.
Candrea also expressed concern about the post-Olympic status of fast pitch softball, the Olympics having been an inspiration "a shot in the arm" that helped build the sport. Without the Olympics, there are too few opportunities (NPF etc) for these young women to play when they are actually at their peak (mid-twenties). He is hopeful that the USA next year can field a team to play in Europe -- the USA needs to put our game in front of the Europeans who have the votes in the Olympics -- and said he is sure such an effort will be made. Candrea acknowledged that there will continue to be international venues of competition, after Beijing, eg, World Cup, Pan Am. etc.
SPY note: Jennie Finch informed SPY that she hopes to conduct a clinic in the Washington area next September, and SPY has agreed to help promote it.
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