Keep Up With Michelle Moultrie at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011 | Softball
Florida senior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Team USA are six games into pool play competition at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, but Moultrie has already been a tremendous contributor, helping the USA Softball Women's National Team to its six victories over Venezuela (10-0; 4 innings), the Dominican Republic (10-0; 4 innings), Mexico (7-0; 5 innings), Cuba (3-0; 7 innings), Puerto Rico (4-1; 7 innings) and Canada (12-5; 5 innings). The Red, White and Blue will next take on Argentina Friday at 5 p.m. (ET) at the Pan American Softball Complex. Live stats available HERE via GameTracker.
Team USA is looking to add to its seven Pan American Championships (1979, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007), including the last six. The program now has a record of 84-3 since softball debuted in the 1979 Pan American Games.
Read each day for a recap following Moultrie and Team USA's journey in Guadalajara:
Game 1: USA vs. Venezuela, Oct. 17: USA 10, Venezuela 0
Moultrie: 0-for-2, but drew a walk and scored a run for Team USA… Was leadoff batter, played left field for the first three innings and center field in the fourth.
The USA Softball National team opened the 2011 Pan American Games in dominating fashion recording a 10-0 run-rule victory over Venezuela Monday evening. Pitcher Jordan Taylor tossed in a no-hitter in the victory recording seven strikeouts. Team USA lit up the bats with 10 hits, tallying 10 RBI and drawing seven walks, while holding Venezuela hitless and scoreless, allowing just one walk in the four-inning contest.
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Game 2: USA vs. Dominican Republic, Oct. 18: USA 10, Dominican Republic 0
Moultrie: 2-for-2, two runs, three RBI, one walk and one stolen base… Played left field through two innings… Was leadoff batter… Laid down a bunt single, roped a double and drew a walk in her three times at the plate.
Team USA continued to dominate on day two of the softball portion of the XVI Pan American Games in Guadalajara, rallying for another 10-0 run-rule win, this time downing the squad from the Dominican Republic. US pitcher Chelsea Thomas picked up the win, tossing a two-hitter and fanning seven through four frames. The Stars and Stripes chalked up 10 runs on just five hits, capitalizing on one Dominican Republic error in the contest. Team USA has out-scored its first two opponents, 20-0.
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Game 3: USA vs. Mexico, Oct. 18: USA 7, Mexico 0
Moultrie: Took a breather for Game 3
A 7-0, five-inning decision against Mexico helped improve Moultrie and Team USA to 3-0 at the Pan American Games in pool play. Through three games played, the USA allowed no runs in 13 innings played, outscoring opponents 27-0. The team moved its overall Pan American Games record to 81-3. Keilani Ricketts and Whitney Canion tossed a combined one-hitter, teaming up to fan six batters.
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Game 4: USA vs. Cuba, Oct. 19: USA 3, Cuba 0
Moultrie: Tallied a sac fly (RBI), drew a walk and scored a run for Team USA, playing a direct role in two of the squad's three runs Wednesday against Cuba… Played left field and was the leadoff hitter.
The team from Cuba tested Team USA through the full seven-inning regulation – the first team to do so in the Pan American Games – but the Women's National Team put up a two spot in the third, thanks to a Lauren Gibson RBI triple, followed by Moultrie's sac fly, and added a run in the sixth, scored by Moultrie after a Kaitlin Cochran single, for the 3-0 victory over Cuba. Jordan Taylor went 6.1 innings in the circle for Team USA. Taylor gave up just four hits, a walk and fanned seven before Whitney Canion came on for the final two outs – both strikeouts – as the duo collaborated for Team USA's fourth shutout of the week. The United States moved to 82-3 all-time in the Pan American Games and will face Puerto Rico next in round-robin pool play.
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Game 5: USA vs. Puerto Rico, Oct. 19: USA 4, Cuba 1
Moultrie: Went 2-for-4 with two runs, including a single and a triple, in Wednesday's second game against Puerto Rico… Played center field and was the leadoff batter in the contest.
The U.S. pitching staff continued to stifle its opponents having allowed just one run in 27 innings of work. Outscoring opponents 34-1, the U.S. is batting .369 as a team and has a .612 slugging percentage. Every hitter on the roster has recorded a hit except Valerie Arioto who has drawn a team-high eight walks. Jenae Leles leads the team with seven RBI while Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) has scored six runs and is hitting .444. Team USA gave up its first run of the Pan American Games against Puerto Rico, but Chelsea Thomas tallied a Pan American Games high 10 strikeouts as the U.S. grabbed the victory, its fourth in a 24-hour span. Puerto Rico made things interesting in the top of the seventh scoring the first run against the U.S. in 27 innings of work. With three singles in a row, two coming from pinch hitters, Puerto Rico knocked in the first run scored on Team USA in the tournament.
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Game 6: USA vs. Canada, Oct. 20: USA 12, Canada 5
Moultrie: As the leadoff hitter, went 2-for-3, two runs, three RBI and one walk… Walked her first time at the plate, knocked a RBI single in her second AB, smacked a two RBI triple in the third inning and flied out in the fifth… Played left field in the contest.
The Canadian bats came out swinging, giving Team USA its first come-from-behind victory Thursday after the Canadians put up five runs in the top of the first inning, but the Red, White and Blue responded, scattering runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings to earn a 12-5 five-inning, run-rule victory. USA put five on the board in the second, three each in the third and fifth frames and one in the fourth, holding Canada scoreless after its five-run rally in the first. Canion and Ricketts split time in the circle for the Women's National Team as Ricketts picked up the victory, fanning four. The squad has now allowed just six opponent runs through six games played. Team USA improved to 6-0 in 2011 Pan American Games play, 84-3 all-time in the Pan Am Games and will finish pool play Friday against Argentina at 5 p.m. (ET).
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Game 7: USA vs. Argentina, Oct. 21, Approximately 5 p.m. (ET)
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For pictures of the team's time in Mexico, head to ASA/USA Softball's Facebook page HERE. For updates on Twitter, follow Moultrie and the Women's National Team @ASAUSASoftball, with re-tweets @GatorZoneSBall. Visit the official website for the Pan American Games HERE.
Team USA will finish pool play against Argentina on Oct. 21 at 5:00 p.m. (ET). The playoffs are Oct. 22 with the medal round scheduled for Oct. 23. Schedule is subject to change.
Moultrie won't be the only Gator representing the Red, White and Blue during the softball offseason as sophomore Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) and freshmen Jessica Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.) and Lauren Haeger (Phoenix, Ariz.) – all members of the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team – will head to the International Softball Federation (ISF) IX Junior Women's World Championship (19-and-under), set for December 6-17 in Cape Town, South Africa.
