Kirsti Merritt accounted for five RBI in Team USA's 9-2 win over the USSSA Pride Saturday, June 15, at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill.
Gators with Team USA Conclude Japan All-Star Series
Tuesday, June 25, 2019 | Softball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Former Gators Michelle Moultrie, Kirsti Merritt, Aubree Munro and Kelsey Stewart are two weeks into their season with the USA Women's National Team and just completed the Japan All-Star Series with No. 2 Japan overseas.
Team USA dropped the series with Japan 2-1 as the squad fell 6-4 in the initial game, but then bounced back to win the second game of the series 7-2 at Shellcom Sendai in Isumi-ku, Sendai, Japan. Japan went on to close out the All-Star Series with an extra-inning 1-0 victory in front of a crowd of 20,331 at the Tokyo Dome thanks to a successfully executed squeeze bunt in the bottom of the eighth.
The Red, White and Blue opened its' 2019 schedule with a series of games against National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) foes Chicago Bandits and USSSA Pride. Team USA went 3-2 as it took the three-game series against the Bandits, 2-1, and split its series with the Pride, 1-1, at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill.
Next up is the USA Softball International Cup in Columbus, Ga. from July 1-7, at the South Commons Softball Complex. Also competing at this year's International Cup will be the USA U-19 Women's National Team, No. 2 Japan, No. 4 Puerto Rico, No. 5 Mexico, No. 6 Chinese Taipei, No. 8 China, No. 13 Philippines, No. 20 Peru, Scrap Yard Fast Pitch and an exhibition with the USSSA Pride.
Fans looking to make the trip can find more information about the schedule of games, venue information and tickets at TeamUSA.org.
2019 USA Women's National Team Results
Moultrie notched a pair of RBI in Team USA only victory over Japan this weekend. The Jacksonville, Fla. native completed the seven-run rally by the Red, White and Blue with a line drive two-RBI double to right field in the bottom of the second inning. The WNT went on to win the game 7-2.
Stewart has played in seven of the eight games so far this summer with Team USA. The Wichita, Kan. native blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning against the Chicago Bandits to give the Red, White and Blue an early 1-0 lead. Stewart's defense on the dirt has been perfect so far as she holds a 1.000 fielding percentage with five putouts and 11 assists so far.
Munro helped spark a one-out rally against the Chicago Bandits that eventually gave the WNT a 2-0 lead. With the score tied 0-0 with one out and a runner on first, the Brea, Calif. native ripped a hard double to left center field to put two runners in scoring position. Team USA's Janie Reed drove in both Munro and Delaney Spaulding with double to center field to secure the win.
Merritt, in her second season representing Team USA, produced a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning and notched five RBI total in the Red, White and Blue's 9-2 win over the USSSA Pride Saturday, June 15. The Lake Panasoffkee, Fla. native has played in seven of the eight games this season for the WNT.
FOLLOW THE GATORS
FloridaGators.com
Florida Softball on Twitter
Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter
Florida Softball on Facebook
Team USA dropped the series with Japan 2-1 as the squad fell 6-4 in the initial game, but then bounced back to win the second game of the series 7-2 at Shellcom Sendai in Isumi-ku, Sendai, Japan. Japan went on to close out the All-Star Series with an extra-inning 1-0 victory in front of a crowd of 20,331 at the Tokyo Dome thanks to a successfully executed squeeze bunt in the bottom of the eighth.
The Red, White and Blue opened its' 2019 schedule with a series of games against National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) foes Chicago Bandits and USSSA Pride. Team USA went 3-2 as it took the three-game series against the Bandits, 2-1, and split its series with the Pride, 1-1, at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill.
Next up is the USA Softball International Cup in Columbus, Ga. from July 1-7, at the South Commons Softball Complex. Also competing at this year's International Cup will be the USA U-19 Women's National Team, No. 2 Japan, No. 4 Puerto Rico, No. 5 Mexico, No. 6 Chinese Taipei, No. 8 China, No. 13 Philippines, No. 20 Peru, Scrap Yard Fast Pitch and an exhibition with the USSSA Pride.
Fans looking to make the trip can find more information about the schedule of games, venue information and tickets at TeamUSA.org.
2019 USA Women's National Team Results
| Date | Opponent | Results | Location |
| Friday, June 14 | Chicago Bandits | W, 6-1 | Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Ill. |
| Friday, June 14 | USSSA Pride | L, 7-3 | Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Ill. |
| Saturday, June 15 | USSSA Pride | W, 9-2 | Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Ill. |
| Saturday, June 15 | Chicago Bandits | L, 6-4 | Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Ill. |
| Sunday, June 16 | Chicago Bandits | W, 2-0 | Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Ill. |
| Saturday, June 22 | Japan | L, 6-4 | Shellcom Sendai– Isumi-ku, Sendai, Japan |
| Sunday, June 23 | Japan | W, 7-2 | Shellcom Sendai – Izumi-ku, Sendai, Japan |
| Tuesday, June 24 | Japan | L, 1-0 (8) | Tokyo Dome – Tokyo |
| Michelle Moultrie | Outfielder | Jacksonville, Fla. | Florida Gator (2009-2012) |
Moultrie notched a pair of RBI in Team USA only victory over Japan this weekend. The Jacksonville, Fla. native completed the seven-run rally by the Red, White and Blue with a line drive two-RBI double to right field in the bottom of the second inning. The WNT went on to win the game 7-2.
| AB | H | 1B | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | R | BB | AVG | OBP | |
| Japan All-Star Series (3 games) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0.125 | 0.222 |
| Bandits & Pride (5 games) | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.125 | 0.300 |
| All Totals (7 games) | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0.125 | 0.263 |
| Kelsey Stewart | Infielder | Wichita, Kan. | Florida Gator (2013-2016) |
Stewart has played in seven of the eight games so far this summer with Team USA. The Wichita, Kan. native blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning against the Chicago Bandits to give the Red, White and Blue an early 1-0 lead. Stewart's defense on the dirt has been perfect so far as she holds a 1.000 fielding percentage with five putouts and 11 assists so far.
| AB | H | 1B | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | R | BB | AVG | OBP | |
| Japan All-Star Series (2 games) | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .333 |
| Bandits & Pride (5 games) | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .200 | .333 |
| All Totals (7 games) | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .200 | .333 |
| Aubree Munro | Catcher | Brea, Calif. | Florida Gator (2013-2016) |
Munro helped spark a one-out rally against the Chicago Bandits that eventually gave the WNT a 2-0 lead. With the score tied 0-0 with one out and a runner on first, the Brea, Calif. native ripped a hard double to left center field to put two runners in scoring position. Team USA's Janie Reed drove in both Munro and Delaney Spaulding with double to center field to secure the win.
| AB | H | 1B | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | R | BB | AVG | OBP | |
| Japan All-Star Series (2 games) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .000 | .600 |
| Bandits & Pride (4 games) | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .111 | .111 |
| All Totals (6 games) | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .091 | .286 |
| Kirsti Merritt | Outfielder | Lake Panasoffkee, Fla. | Florida Gator (2013-2016) |
Merritt, in her second season representing Team USA, produced a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning and notched five RBI total in the Red, White and Blue's 9-2 win over the USSSA Pride Saturday, June 15. The Lake Panasoffkee, Fla. native has played in seven of the eight games this season for the WNT.
| AB | H | 1B | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | R | BB | AVG | OBP | |
| Japan All-Star Series (2 games) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | .250 |
| Bandits & Pride (5 games) | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | .250 | .538 |
| All Totals (7 games) | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | .182 | .471 |
FOLLOW THE GATORS
FloridaGators.com
Florida Softball on Twitter
Head Coach Tim Walton on Twitter
Florida Softball on Facebook
Players Mentioned
NCAA: Coach Walton, Shumaker and Comia 5-17-26
Sunday, May 17
NCAA: Coach Walton, Cahalan and Rothrock Press Conference 5-16-26
Saturday, May 16
NCAA: Coach Walton, Shumaker and Erickson Postgame Press Conference 5-15-26
Friday, May 15
NCAA: Ava Brown & Taylor Shumaker Press Conference 5-14-26
Thursday, May 14
