CAT and Team USA vs Japan at Sandei Series

[Phil C]

Team USA and Japan are playing a three game women's softball series today and tomorrow and they are 14 hours ahead of us but there has been no news anywhere on what happened and one game should already have been played since a double header is tomorrow. Even ESPN who prides themselves on covering all sports doesn't have any news. I don't know what the delay is or if there was a rain out but since there is no available news anywhere alas! There is nothing to report.

[Etexpirate]

Thanks Phil..will be waiting for the scores....

Has anyone heard if the protest meetings concerning removing softball from the Olympics have occured yet?

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Etexpirate
Thanks Phil..will be waiting for the scores....

Has anyone heard if the protest meetings concerning removing softball from the Olympics have occured yet?

I haven't heard anything yet Etex but they have my support. With the success Japan has been having lately I am sure they will be protesting with us along with China and Australia and probably Canada.

[Phil C]

I finally got the score and USA wins game one 3 to 0 with Alicia Hollowell being the winning pitcher! Good news indeed and a much needed big win by the USA but it does show that competition between them and Japan is the future! The USA got a first run when Jennie Finch who played first base (she usually just pitches! :eek: ) with no outs in the third and her first time at bat for USA this year hit a single and got to first! :eek: Then with a walk she got to second. The next hit got an out at second on a fielder's choice and Jennie got to third. With just one out the next USA batter hit a long sacrifice fly and Jennie scored!! Way to go Jennie! Then the game was scoreless until the seventh inning when the USA got two more insurance scores. I don't think Japan used their ace Ueno but I sure they will use her tomorrow. Let's hope we can win at least one more and a sweep would be even better. Good news indeed! Go USA! Go CAT! Way to go Jennie!!

[Etexpirate]

Good For AH!! Good to see her being effective on the mound at this level! She is so powerful and such a different kind of pitcher fron the Cat! I never would have thought of Jennie as the consumate base runner!! Good for her and hurray for the USA..
It's Softball competition at this level that will hopefully get it back on the agenda for the Olympics!!

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Etexpirate
Good For AH!! Good to see her being effective on the mound at this level! She is so powerful and such a different kind of pitcher fron the Cat! I never would have thought of Jennie as the consumate base runner!! Good for her and hurray for the USA..
It's Softball competition at this level that will hopefully get it back on the agenda for the Olympics!!


I think so Ext and one thing also is that our key ace pitcher Lisa is out on maternity leave and also we should be getting our power hitter Crystal Bustos back and with the young team we have they should be outstanding in 2008 Olympics.

[Etexpirate]

I think that they need leadership and both of those ladies are poster children for that! Lisa is an outstanding leader and very effective in pulling the team together and transforming them into an effective winning machine.. What can you say about Crystal other than she is the "Rock"!?

[Phil C]

Man Ext those coaches are going to have to make difficult decisions on who to keep and who they have to cut when they go to the Olympics in 2008.

[Etexpirate]

I need to look and see how many they are carrying on the roster.. It will be very difficult to choose who is on the field and also who sits the bench.
During the world cup I noticed Tennenesse's pitcher Monica Abbott on the bench.. I have yet to see her take the mound for the world team..but Man.. What a great additon..

I would HATE to be a coach.. (ok..really lying..I would KILL to be one..lol)

[Etexpirate]

...and Phil.. It's really sweet of you to make me welcome by talking about Softball!! I think you're a sweetie!!!:kiss:

[Phil C]

I am not sure but I thought Monica pitched a little at the world cup maybe in a two inning relief or something. CAT and Jennie and the others I think are going to be outstanding pitchers in the future for us but like you said they don't have the experience and leadership ability that Lisa has since Lisa has been there for more years and the other players look up to her as you said but I think that as they get experience and when Lisa decides to retire that they will be able to take over.

[fairfield_06]

She pitched against someone in the World Cup because I watched the game. I don't remember who it was agaisnt but she gave up a couple runs. I remember someone posting that if people thought she was better then Cat there crazy. Which is true Cat is way better.

[Phil C]

Hey etex does your dd play volleyball too? That is coming very soon also and I try to keep up with it too.

[Etexpirate]

Sadly not this year..

She is a pitcher and that requires an enormous amount of practice time. And also this fall is the last big push before early signing.. We will be on the road traveling hard with the Select Team getting the last exposure before making a decision..

[Phil C]

I can understand that etex and know it is difficult to sometimes do multiple sports and with school work duties it is necessary to concentrate on one sport. Keep us updated on how she does.

[PhiI C]

It is almost 10:30 P.M. here which means in Japan it is almost 12:30 P.M. on Friday and the USA and Japan are about 30 minutes from the start of Game 2 in the Sandei series. Go USA! Go CAT! Fight and Win!!

[PhiI C]

Originally posted by Etexpirate
Good For AH!! Good to see her being effective on the mound at this level! She is so powerful and such a different kind of pitcher fron the Cat! I never would have thought of Jennie as the consumate base runner!! Good for her and hurray for the USA..
It's Softball competition at this level that will hopefully get it back on the agenda for the Olympics!!

Etex I also failed to mention that one of the insurance runs scored in the seventh inning was a result of a sacrifice fly out by Finch!

[PhiI C]

I won't know the results of the games until late in the morning but hopefully we will have good news and win at least two out of three even though winning three would be great especially if we could do it against their terrific ace Ueno.

[Phil C]

Well it is almost 10 A.M. here which means it is about midnight Satruday in Japan and still no word on the other two games played in Japan which are long over and this is strange indeed with all this fast communication knowhow today so Alas! There is nothing to report on the other two games. :(