Jung leads U.S. to 5-1 victory over No. 5 Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -   On a brisk Michigan night, the U.S. Women’s National team captured another KFC Bound 4 Beijing victory with a 5-1 defeat of the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines.  With 2,507 fans packed into a standing room only crowd at Alumni Field, second baseman Lovieanne Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif.) led the U.S. (29-1) going 2-for-3 with three RBI.  From the circle, Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) tallied the win going six innings recording 11 strikeouts while allowing three hits and one earned run.

“This game was good for us,” said head coach Mike Candrea.  “These are the games that help us and tonight I thought we responded well.  Cat did a pretty good job and if you go through the ups and downs a little bit before you get to Beijing it will help us in the long run.”

Getting off on the right foot, Michigan starter Jordan Taylor accounted for all outs in the first starting out with a line drive beamed at her by Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.), shocking even the freshman herself. She rounded out with a strikeout and groundout to keep the USA bats a bay.

Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif.) was the first one to reach base in the second inning when she drew a walk and advanced to second on a single shot by Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.) that veered past Taylor. Bustos scored on a sac fly by Stacey Nuveman (La Verne, Calif.) but the real excitement of the second inning came when Jung drove a ball to centerfield for a two-RBI home run to take the lead.

“It was awesome to see great pitching and that is what I expect when we face a good college team,” said Jung.  “I was successful tonight because I was watching the at bats before me and I was watching her change up on certain counts and that is what I hit on the home run.”

Michigan gave the team a scare in the third when Roya St. Clair drew four balls to start the third inning and would head to second when Teddi Ewing reached on a fielder’s choice. Osterman attempted to throw out St. Clair missing her mark to Jung, but stellar back up play by Lowe kept the runners at first and second. Osterman however made it up with three straight strikeouts to keep the score at 3-0.

Jung went deep in the count in the fourth inning to add on to her RBI total by hitting a single up the middle to score Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, Fla.) who ripped a double to right center field to lead off the inning.

After issuing strikeouts to six of eight batters starting in the third, Osterman’s no hitter was broken by Ewing who laid down a bunt to reach first in the fifth inning. 

Kretschman tacked on another run in the sixth inning when she drove in the second home run of the game, a solo shot that cleared the bleachers to give the team a 5-0 lead.

Osterman allowed another bunt single to start off the sixth and with that Michigan went with their attack plan of laying down a sac bunt. However the quickness and arm of Tairia Flowers (Tucson, Ariz.) threw out the runner at second for an out. Samantha Findlay then drew the second walk of the game before Maggie Viefhaus ruined any chance of a shutout with a single blooper to right centerfield to score Angela Findlay for a 5-1 ball game.

Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) came in to pitch the final inning with Osterman earning her sixth win of the KFC Bound 4 Beijing Tour.

The U.S. totaled six hits in the contest while Kretschman earned a 2-for-3 night.

Heading east, the U.S. will travel to Williamsport, Pa. on Wednesday following practice in Ann Arbor.  The U.S. will take the field against ASA Regional All Stars on Thursday evening at the Williamsport Crosscutters Stadium at 7 p.m. EST.