Abbott’s one-hit performance leads USA Softball to Championship Game

Surrey, B.C.- The USA Softball Women’s National Team beat host team Canada, 3-0, to advance to the Championship Game of the 2009 Canada Cup. Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) neared perfect, allowing one hit and one walk with 11 strikeouts while offensively Ashley Charters (Beaverton, Ore.) contributed two RBI with a triple off her former teammate Canada’s Danielle Lawrie. 

Abbott made her sixth appearance and fourth start tonight taking on Canada who was undefeated in medal rounds. She recorded 11 strikeouts on the night and now holds a team high 4-0 record.

“I think we came out and played some great softball today. The offense supported the defense when it needed to and the defense supported the offense when it needed to which is what this sport is all about,” said Abbott. “We played very focused as a team and I am excited we will be playing on Sunday.” 

After the first inning which saw two runners stranded off two hits, it looked like the top of the third would be when the U.S. offense would do some damage. Charters had a base hit to shortstop and Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) reached on an error by the second baseman. A sac bunt by Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.) put runners at second and third with only one out. Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) struck out and with two outs, the bases were loaded when Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to load up the bases. However three would be left stranded when Alissa Haber (Newark, Calif.) flied out to right field.

It wasn’t pretty but it was a run as the team scored a run in the top of the fourth to take a 1-0 lead. Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) waited patiently to earn a walk and would be substituted with Brittany Rogers (Dacula, Ga.) to pinch run. Rogers advanced to second on a sac bunt by Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.). Two wild pitches by Lawrie let Rogers reach third then home for the Red, White and Blue to take a 1-0 lead.
The team added on two insurance runs in the sixth, this time off a solid triple by Charters that rode the right field line and into the outfield. Haber, who was hit by a pitch, and Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.), who walked, scored on the play. 

“It was definitely odd facing Danielle (Lawrie) today as that is the first time I have ever done that but it was exciting to beat Canada on their home field,” said Charters. “It took everyone on the team to get the win and I am excited for tomorrow. It will be my first Championship game in a USA uniform and I am humbled to be out there competing for my country.”

Abbott faced the top of Canada’s lineup in the bottom of the seventh and with one out behind her, saw her chance of a perfect game fade away. Evelyn Pare walked and would advance to third off a single to left field by Jen Yee. Now with two outs, the other a strikeout, Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) came in to face Sheena Lawrick, the tying run. One strikeout later, the team captured its 11th win and advanced to the Championship game. Osterman earned the first save of the Canada Cup. 

The Championship game is set for 6:30 p.m. PT and the opponent is not yet known. Venezuela and Australia play tonight at 8:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to play Canada at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. The winner of that game will face the United States at 6:30 p.m. Continue to check out www.usasoftball.com for complete coverage of the Canada Cup. 

About ASA 
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 83 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 210,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/. 

About USA Softball 
USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of the only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won eight World Championship titles including the last six consecutive as well as claimed two World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visithttp://www.usasoftball.com/.

Tags: Canada Cup, Kaitlin Cochran, Monica Abbott, Natasha Watley, USA Softball