Mississippi State
USA Olympic Team (Exh.)
Bulldog Softball Team Falls 13-0 To USA Olympic Team
April 17, 2008 | Softball
? Official Statistics
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RIDGELAND, Miss. - MSU senior Hayle Guess collected the Bulldogs' lone hit and drew a walk as the United States Olympic Team claimed a 13-0 victory over Mississippi State Thursday night at Freedom Ridge Park as part of the team's "Bound 4 Beijing" tour.
Playing before a spirited crowd of 3,242, Team USA improved to 24-1 on the tour. The amateur squad of the game's best had no-hit fellow Southeastern Conference rival Alabama in its most recent outing, Tuesday night at Birmingham, Ala.
The 24th-ranked Bulldogs managed three total base runners, including a walk and a hit batsman, against former Texas all-American Cat Osterman, a three-time national player of the year during her collegiate days at Texas. Osterman worked all six innings and struck out 10 Bulldogs while throwing 94 pitches.
Hayle Guess led off the second inning with a leadoff single and also drew a walk in the fourth. Brittany Bell reached as a hit batsman in the third inning before advancing to second in the frame.
"I was pleased with the way we came out and played tonight, especially on offense," Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller said. "Our pitchers were a little tentative and got into some trouble early, but that is expected when you are playing a great opponent like the U.S. It was a great opportunity for everyone to get into the game, and our kids responded well. It was fun to step out of conference play and relax before Georgia comes to town this weekend."
Team USA scored twice in the first inning. The all-star squad then added four runs in the second inning, three runs in the third inning and two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Caitlin Lowe had three hits and three RBI to pace Team USA's 11-hit attack. Vicky Galindo and Lauren Lappin, who homered in the game, each drove in two runs for Team USA. No other USA player had multiple hits.
For MSU, Misty Flesher pitched the first two innings. Flesher allowed four hits and six runs (five earned), with three walks and no strikeouts. Kelsey Nurnberg pitched two innings, allowing five hits and five runs (three earned), with three walks and no strikeouts. Elizabeth Woolven threw one inning, allowing two hits and two runs (both earned), with one walk and no strikeouts.
The Bulldogs, who are 35-15 and 9-10 in SEC play, return to Southeastern Conference play this weekend, hosting Georgia in a three-game series at the MSU Softball Field. Game times for the Saturday MSU-UGA doubleheder and the Sunday series finale are both at 1 p.m. All three games will be broadcast live on WMSV 91.1 and online at http://www.wmsv.msstate.edu/.
