Bowie, MD --
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| Jessica Mendoza Throws Her Hands Up Celebratng a 2-0 USA Victory over the Washington Glory |
After months of the talk of the softball community of Washington getting to finally see the USA Womens team in action, today was the day that they finally had been waiting for, and the Washington Glory, defending NPF Champions, it was a day they hoped to just stay alive against some of the best female softball athletes ever to grace the diamond.
For the USA Team, this was probably the best match-up they have seen since the tour started back on February 19th. Glory pitcher Sarah Pauly showed why she is considered one of the best in the NPF throwing five scoreless innings and holding the USA teams to one of the best duels they have seen since taking a 1-0 loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies on March 26th.
"It's been awhile since I slid into home and pumped my fist," said U.S. second baseman Lauren Lappin, who scored the team's first run. Later, asked how long it had been, Lappin had to admit she couldn't remember.
Washington had a stronghold on some of the strongest batters in the line-up and when Glory Head Coach Erin Goettlicher decided to make the change at pitcher to Amy Harre on loan from the Philadelphia Force, the game went the way the Glory would have rather it would not have.
Harre gave up a single to Natsha Whatley in the sixth inning in what would be the eventual game winner for the USA Team who hopes that this game which drew a record setting amount of fans at 8,027 and the entire tour will help the IOC to put Womens Softball back on for 2012.
The Glory players who seemed very estatic about being back on the field to defend their title open their season on May 29th at the Westfields Softball Complex in Chantilly. They will play without star pitcher Monica Abbott and utility player Kelly Kretchman, both of who will try and help the USA team take the gold in Beijing in August.
