Team USA Shuts Down No. 14 Softball In Exhibition Game

CLEARWATER, Fla. ? The 14^th-ranked University of Oregon softball team lost 7-0 to the USA Olympic Team before a standing room only crowd at the Eddie C. Moore Sports Complex in Clearwater, Fla., Saturday evening. The exhibition game is part of Team USA's ?Aiming For Athens' Tour in which it is a perfect 16-0 after defeating Oregon.

Oregon sophomore Dani Baird accounted for Oregon's lone hit of the game ? an infield blooper in the sixth inning against USA pitcher Cat Osterman.

Starter Jennie Finch struck out nine Oregon batters and allowed no hits in five innings pitched to pick up the win. Oregon's Lindsey Kontra went the distance for Oregon and had one strikeout and just one walk.

Amanda Freed drove in Tairia Flowers with line drove through the right side in the second inning to put Team USA ahead, 1-0.

Team USA added two runs in the third inning after and RBI each by Lovie Jung and Kelly Kretschman to extend its lead to 3-0. Crystl Bustos added to the score with an RBI line drive that scored Natasha Watley in the sixth inning. Bustos later scored on a double by Lisa Fernandez and Fernandez came in on a Flowers. Flowers scored on a double by Jung to put USA ahead 7-0.

Oregon got a runner on base in the fifth inning when Finch walked sophomore Beth Boskovich. Boskovich advanced to second on an illegal pitch, but Finch went on to strike out the side and keep the shutout intact. Baird reached in the sixth inning and junior Ashley Richards reached on a walk by Osterman in the seventh.

Oregon 000 000 0 - 0 1 3

USA 012 004 x - 7 13 0

Win: Finch (5-0)

Loss: Kontra

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Box score (NCAA)

The Automated ScoreBook #14 Oregon vs Team USA Mar 06, 2004 at Clearwater, Fla. (Eddie C. Moore Cmplx)

Oregon 0 (17-5)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Jenn Poore c/dh.......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 Breanne Sabol ss......... 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 3 1 Ashley Richards 3b/c..... 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 Beth Boskovich dh/3b..... 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 Suzie Barnes cf.......... 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 0 Kayleen Hudson rf........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Ann Marie Topps rf...... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 Kristi Leiter 1b......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 7 1 1 Erin Goodell 2b.......... 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 Julie Jaime lf........... 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dani Baird lf........... 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lindsey Kontra p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Totals................... 22 0 1 0 2 13 18 8 3

Team USA 7 (16-0)

Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB ------------------------------------------------------ Watley, Natasha ss....... 3 1 1 0 0 0 3 1 2 Amico, Leah 1b........... 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 Bustos, Crystl dh........ 4 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 Fernandez, Lisa 3b....... 3 2 2 1 1 0 0 2 1 Clark, Jaime 3b......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Flowers, Tairia Mims c... 4 2 3 1 0 0 13 0 0 Jung, Lovieanne 2b....... 4 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 Kretschman, Kelly lf..... 3 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 Freed, Amanda rf......... 4 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 6 Berg, Laura cf........... 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Finch, Jennie p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Osterman, Cat p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Totals................... 32 7 13 7 2 1 21 6 10

Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Oregon.............. 000 000 0 - 0 1 3 Team USA............ 012 004 X - 7 13 0 -----------------------------------------

E - Sabol; Goodell; Kontra. LOB - Ducks 3; USA 10. 2B - Fernandez; Jung. SH - Watley.

Oregon IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Lindsey Kontra...... 6.0 13 7 6 2 1 32 35

Team USA IP H R ER BB SO AB BF ----------------------------------------------- Finch, Jennie....... 5.0 0 0 0 1 9 15 16 Osterman, Cat....... 2.0 1 0 0 1 4 7 8

Win - Finch (5-0). Loss - Kontra (). Save - None. WP - Kontra. BK - Finch. Umpires - Start: 8 p.m. Time: 2:00 Attendance: Game: ORE-USA