University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Cajuns Display Great Defense in 3-0 Loss to Team USA
3/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Friday, March 19, 2004
FULLERTON, Calif.-In a pitching rematch of the 2004 Women's College World Series, Cat Osterman struck out 13, while the Ragin' Cajuns displayed great defense to back up Brooke Mitchell. In the end, three solo homeruns by the United States Olympic Team was too much for the Cajuns to handle in a 3-0 loss Friday afternoon here at the Kia Klassic.
Team USA's three runs is only the third time in 23 games that the Olympians were held to under four runs in a game. The game is an exhibition game for the regular season, but counts towards tournament seeding.
The Cajuns will now face Princeton in the Championship Bracket at 7 p.m. (PT). With a win, the Cajuns will play at 3 p.m. Saturday (PT).
Osterman, former Texas All-American, struck out Hillary Guidry, Holly Tankersley and Danyele Gomez in order in the top of the first.
Mitchell retired the first Olympians she faced in the bottom of the second. Starting third baseman Crystl Bustos singled to Tiffany Hebert, beating out the throw at first base. The hit extended Bustos' hitting streak to 23 games-the entire length of the Americans' “Aiming for Athens 2004” Nationwide Tour.
Osterman struck out the first five Cajuns she faced,
until sophomore second baseman Brittany Bryant drew a
two-out walk for the first Cajuns base runner. Lacey
Bertucci struck out on the next at bat to end the second
inning.
After striking out Team USA catcher Jenny Topping to lead off the second, Mitchell allowed the next three batters to reach base. Kelly Kretschman walked, while Lovie Jung hit a single to left center, advancing Krestchman to third. Mitchell hit Amanda Freed in the foot to load the bases with one out. Laura Berg popped out to Bertucci for the second out. Mitchell struck out Natasha Watley tooking to get out of the bases-loaded jam.
Ostermann retired the Cajuns side in the top of third. Crystal George grounded out to Bustos for the first out, while Hebert and Guidry struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Mitchell retired Leah O'Brien-Amico, and then hit Bustos on the wrist. Bustos advanced to second on a wild pitch. Lisa Fernandez hit a would-be homerun to right field, before Ashley Evans made a homerun-saving catch. Bustos advanced to third on the throw. Topping flied out to Guidry to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Osterman struck out the Cajuns in order, increasing her strikeout total to 11.
The U.S. Olympic Team got on the scoreboard first with a Kretschman solo homerun over the left centerfield wall to give Team USA a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Mitchell struck out the next batters, before Berg hit a hard single to Gomez. Berg was retired to end the inning because she left early.
Bryant broke up Osterman's no-hit bid with a one-out single to right field in the top of the fifth. Bertucci struck out and George flied out to right field to end the inning.
Watley led off the bottom of the fifth with a bloop double over Gomez. Mitchell retired the next three Olympians to end the inning.
Former UCLA All-American pitcher Lisa Fernandez came on the sixth in relief of Osterman. Fernandez retired the side for Team USA.
Topping fouled out to Gomez for the first out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kretschman hit her second solo homerun of the day to right field to extend the Olympic Team's lead to 2-0. Pinch-hitter Tairia Flowers hit the Olympians' third solo homerun of the afternoon to left field to increase the lead to 3-0.
Game 3 Line Score
Team USA 3, Louisiana-Lafayette 0 (Mar 19, 2004 at Fullerton, Calif.)
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Louisiana-Lafayette. 000 000 0 - 0 1 0
U.S. Olympic Team... 000 102 X - 3 7 0
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Pitchers: Louisiana-Lafayette - Mitchell.
U.S. Olympic Team - Osterman; Fernandez(6).
Win-Osterman Loss-Mitchell T-1:45
-LOUISIANA'S RAGIN' CAJUNS-
