- July
- USA Softball Women's National Team Claims Eighth Pan American Championships
- USA Secures Spot in Championship Game with 7-0 Win over Canada
- USA Shuts out Cuba 10-0 in Five Innings
- USA Softball Opens with 2-0 Record at Pan American Championships
- USA Women Open Up Competition Tomorrow at XV Pan American Games
- Don’t Miss the USA Softball Men’s National Team on ESPN2 this Weekend
- USA Softball Wins Back-to-Back World Cup Titles
- For Complete Coverage of the World Cup, check out the World Cup section under Events/Results
- USA Men’s National Team takes home inaugural American Challenge Series title
- USA Secures Spot in Championship Game of the KFC World Cup of Softball
- USA Goes Complete Game For 4-1 Victory Over Japan
- USA Softball Men’s National Team homers past Argentina
- USA Softball cruises past China on day two of KFC World Cup
- USA Men drop opener to Japan at KFC American Challenge Series
- USA Softball opens KFC World Cup of Softball with 9-1 win over Venezuela
- Rain Delays Start of World Cup
- KFC American Challenge Series schedule changed
- Boys Fast Pitch Open Tryout
- USA Clinches Canada Cup Title with 5-0 Win Over Japan
- USA Continue Win Streak with 10-1 Victory Over Chinese Taipei
- USA Opens Championship Round with 2-0 Record
- USA Rocks Puerto Rico 10-0 in Three Innings
- USA Softball Completes Pool Play with 17-0 Win Over White Rock Renegades
- USA Softball Run Rules Australia 11-0
- USA Use Base Hits To Shut out Absolute Blast 10-0 - 07/03/07
- With 12-0 win USA Advances to Championship Game at Canada Cup
USA Secures Spot in Championship Game with 7-0 Win over Canada
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The USA National Team shutout Canada 7-0 at the XV Pan American Games to secure a spot in its ninth-overall Pan American Championship game tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. The U.S. extended its Pan American record to 76-3 with a winning streak of 55 games with its semi-final win over Canada.
The medal rounds began today and it was a different ball game as the team took on Canada. After holding opponents hitless the past 17 innings, Canada’s Jennifer Salling singled in the first inning off starter Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) and Canada pitcher Danielle Lawrie held the team hitless until the third inning when the U.S. took a 3-0 lead.
Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) broke the no-hitter with a bunt-single in the third, advancing to second on a stolen base. Lowe scored the first run of the game when Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.) ripped a ball to right field for her second double of the tournament. Canada chose to intentionally walk Crystl Bustos (Canyon County, Calif.), her seventh during the month of July. Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour, Fla.) battled through her at bat before ripping one to center field. It looked like an out but the centerfielder dropped it allowing Kretschman to reach third, scoring Mendoza and Bustos for a 3-0 lead.
The team doubled the runs in the fourth after Lawrie left the game and Katie Rosentreter came in to pitch. Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif.) singled with a bunt, moving to second after Lovie Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif.) was hit by a pitch. Lauren Lappin (Anaheim, Calif.) got her first hit of the tournament, for two-RBI with a single to centerfield. Lappin would score the sixth run of the game off a groundout by Mendoza.
“The energy in an event like that has been invigorating and we were excited to go out tonight in the semi final game and play a competitive Canada team,” said Lappin, who was 2-3 with three RBI on the day. “Since our schedule has been shortened, we wanted to make a statement with the few games we had and I think we did that tonight.”
Canada got one more hit in the fifth but a strikeout by Abbott left Canada with one on base. The U.S. got the run it needed to end the game in five innings when Lappin hit a single to left field scoring Duran who singled to center field, to give the U.S. a 7-0 win.
“It was nice to get out there and play today. We knew Canada was going to be a very competitive team and I wanted to go out there and set the tone for the game,” said Abbott. “I think we are ready and prepared for tomorrow’s finals and we are ready to get out there and defend our title”.
The U.S. has competed in every Championship game since softball was put in the Pan American Games in 1979. The only loss in the Championship game was in 1983 against Canada, a 5-4 loss. With the win, the U.S. secured a spot in the Championship game tomorrow at 1:00 pm/11:00 CT. They will play against the winner of Canada/Venezuela which will be played at 11:00 a.m./9:00 a.m. CT.
Continue to check out http://www.usasoftball.com/ for complete coverage of this event.
