University of Tennessee Athletics
U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM HANDLES LADY VOLS IN EXHIBITION
February 21, 2004 | Softball
Feb. 21, 2004
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif.
As part of its "Aiming for Athens" tour, the United States Olympic Team defeated the Lady Vol softball team in an exhibition at the Palm Springs Classic on Saturday night. Team USA prevailed, 8-0, in five innings before a crowd of over 4,500 fans at the Big League Dreams Sports Park.
Freshman Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.) drew the starting assignment and surrendered a run in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Crystal Bustos that scored Natasha Watley. The 2003 National Player of the Year from UCLA, Watley slapped an infield single, stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout by Leah O'Brien-Amico.
Abbott would keep the U.S. squad off the board until the third inning, when Bustos poked a leadoff triple to right field and Lovie Jung smacked a two-run home run deep to left.
Former Arizona All-American Jennie Finch struck out the first seven batters she faced until sophomore Stacey Jennings (Aurora, Colo.) grounded out to Lisa Fernandez at third base. Rookie Lindsay Schutzler (Monterey, Calif.) legged out a bunt to start the fourth and later stole second as the Lady Vols' only runner of the game.
After Abbott fanned Laura Berg to open the home portion of the fourth, Watley singled and promptly swiped second base again. The southpaw responded with a punchout of O'Brien-Amico, but Bustos delivered an RBI single to boost her club's lead to 4-0. Abbott worked four full innings, scattering five hits and four runs, with five strikeouts and four walks. Undoubtedly, the play of the game from a Tennessee perspective came during Abbott's sequence to Fernandez. The two-time gold-medal winner crushed a shot to center field that sophomore Sarah Fekete (Maryville, Tenn.) snared with a leaping grab at the fence to prevent a four-bagger.
Jennings entered the circle in the fifth and Team USA would close the game via the mercy rule with four runs on one hit, three walks, two wild pitches and a passed ball. For the victors, Watley was 2-for-2 with two runs and a pair of stolen bases and Bustos was 2-for-2 with a couple of RBI. Finch registered 10 strikeouts over four innings and Cat Osterman whiffed two of three batters she faced in the fifth.
The No. 12 Lady Vols, 13-2 overall, will finish its participation in the Palm Springs Classic tomorrow at 9 a.m. PT against Notre Dame. Tennessee has claimed two of three outings this weekend, posting wins over Baylor (2-0) and Utah (4-1). The Orange succumbed to top-ranked and defending national champion UCLA, 3-0.
