USA Softball Plays Past Midnight for 7th win of Canada Cup

SURREY, B.C. – The USA Softball Women’s National team played into the early morning but came out victorious with two shutout wins at the Canada Cup, 8-0 over the Netherlands and 10-0 over Venezuela tonight in Surrey, B.C. Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) led the team on the day going 4-for-6 with four RBI, three runs scored and a homerun. Defensively, Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) and Katie Burkhart (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) combined for the team’s first no-hitter of the Canada Cup against the Netherlands. 

After a two-hour rain delay the team finally took to the field at 6:03 p.m. for their scheduled game time of 3:30 p.m. After defeating the Netherlands 7-0 in five innings on opening day, the U.S. secured another shutout with an 8-0 win in five innings with Finch and Burkhart combining for the first no-hitter of the tournament. 
Chelsea Bramlett (Cordova, Tenn.) scored the first run of the game after she reached on bunt. With Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) at bat, Bramlett stole second to put a runner in scoring position. Lowe reached on a bunt single and would attempt to steal second. Lowe was forced out but Bramlett would score on the play for the team to take a first-inning 1-0 lead.

Finch earned her second start of the Canada Cup, and would throw two complete innings with two strikeouts and no hits.

“I am pleased with how the team is playing and am excited that we are starting to find our groove. As a veteran on the team, it’s so neat to come out and play with these younger athletes and really see them compete,” said Finch. “It was great to throw a combined no-hitter with Burkhart and she did a great job today. I’m also having such a great time getting to play first and get in some at bats.” 

The second inning the bats of Team USA did some damage with the team scoring seven runs off five hits and two errors. Highlighting the inning was a two-run homerun by Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.) and RBI singles by Lowe, Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) and Brittany Rogers (Dacula, Ga.) to give the team an 8-0 lead. 
Katie Burkhart (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) entered at the top of the third to work the final two innings of play. Burkhart got herself into a first and third position after the leadoff hitter Chantal Versluis reached on a throwing error by Burkhart, advancing to second on the error. Versulis moved to third when Ashley Holcombe (Fayetteville, Ga.) dropped a third strike allowing Areke Spel to reach first. However, Burkhart maintained composure striking out the final out of the inning. 

No more runs were scored by the United States but the eight run lead was enough to have the game called in the fifth inning. Burkhart struck out seven batters and allowed no hits in three innings pitched. Finch and Burkhart combined for the first no-hitter of the tournament. 

With a game in between which saw Australia come from behind to beat Canada, the team took the field at 10:30 p.m. to play the final game of the day. 

Rogers got it started for the Red, White and Blue legging out a double to centerfield. Rogers reached third on a wild pitch, scoring the first run of the game off a Watley single. Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) suited up in the circle for the team, allowing two hits in the first inning. By way of an Abbott strikeout, those two runners were left stranded.

After allowing two hits in the first, Abbott sat down the next eight batters with strikeouts until the No. 4 hitter Rubilena Rojas ripped a single to center field that zipped right by Abbott’s head. However a double play turned by Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Watley cleared the bases. 

Venezuela pitcher Johana Gomez and the Venezuelan defense kept runs off the board until the fifth inning when the team scored three runs with two outs against them. Rogers singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the pitcher. Ashley Charters (Beaverton, Ore.) hit a single to centerfield and the centerfielder slipped while trying to come up with the play, allowing Charters to reach second and Rogers cross home, on the error. Watley, who is leading the team in hits and RBI, cleared the bases with a homerun that more than cleared the left field fence.

“I think having days like today where there is rain, delayed games and playing past midnight are really good for the team as we learn to deal with uncontrollable situations as a team,” said Watley. “For awhile we weren’t sure if we would be able to play but we were and I am proud of how we came out.” 
Abbott completed four innings with nine strikeouts while allowing three hits. Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) took the lead in the circle for three innings. Osterman struck out six batters and issued one walk. Abbott, with the win, is now 2-0 at the Canada Cup. 

In the top of the seventh, the U.S. put the game out of reach scoring six runs. Lead off batter Rogers walked and was followed by Holcombe, pinch hitting for Watley, who reached on a walk. This brought in the third pitching change for Venezuela with Adriana Velasquez. Cochran hit the 10th hit of the game with a single through the middle that would be good for two runs and a 6-0 lead. Cochran scored off a single by Alissa Haber (Newark, Calif.) and a Finch triple would plate Duran, who hit into a fielders choice, for the eighth run of the game. Finch would go on to score when Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.) reached on an error with the final run of the game being scored off an RBI single by Jenae Leles (Sacramento, Calif.).

In the final game before medal rounds, USA will take on Canada at 8:30 p.m./CT on their homes soil. Be sure to check out www.usasoftball.com for all Canada Cup information including the newest blog by Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.).

Tags: Canada Cup, Jennie Finch-Daigle, Jessica Merchant, Natasha Watley, USA Softball