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On Tuesday March 4th the 2008 USA Women's National Team
played an exhibition game against FIU in Hollywood, Florida.
Fortunately, a great many girls from our park were able to attend
the game, and based upon the feed back, the event was major success!
The night started with 5:00
batting practice. When the 2008 Olympic squad started
swinging, balls started flying. Crystl Bustos put on a
tremendous display hitting some bombs that cleared the fence and the
outfield bleachers, one nearly striking new patrons entering the
park over 350 feet away.
The game itself was fantastic as
it featured all the team's stars. They all came though in red
white and blue....shutout pitching by Lisa Fernandez, Monica Abbott
and Cat Osterman....a home run by Crystl Bustos....a triple by
Jennie Finch....a steady show of batting prowess and speed by
Caitlin Lowe, slap single and stolen base, Jessica Mendoza, single
walk and stolen base and Natasha Watley two singles....and great
errorless team defense, which included Tairia Flowers making the
most complete stretch possible at first. The following are a
few of the photos taken at the game...
The pitching was amazing, as the
big three gave up only one hit in six innings pitched.
Lisa Fernandez
reaches back for a
little something
extra.
Monica Abbott
snaps off a 70+ rise
ball.
Cat Osterman
shows great
extension as she
gets every inch of
leverage possible
driving off the
rubber.
Leadoff hitter
Caitlin Lowe slaps a
ball to short....
....and barely beats the throw at
first.
Jessica Mendoza
rips a shot through
the 5-6 hole.
Third baseman Andrea Duran takes
one the other way for a single to right center.
Kelly Kretchman
drives a shot up the
middle.
Crystl Bustos
wows the crowd with
a towering blast
over the
left-centerfield
fence.
 
Jennie Finch,
known for her
pitching, shows some
stick, driving a
line drive triple to
center.
Lisa Fernandez drives a long fly
to the fence in left where a great reaching grab robs a potential
homerun.
Natasha Watley
moves into fielding
position at
shortstop as the
pitch is delivered.
Second
baseman Lovieanne Jung makes a backhand and throw to first look
routine.
Tairia
Flowers makes an incredible split stretch at first.
If the game wasn't enough,
afterwards the entire team lined up in the outfield along the left
and centerfield homerun fence and met with all the kids in
attendance, autographing anything the girl's desired and posing for
photos. All in all the evening provided a wonderful stage for
a group of outstanding women to demonstrate both their skill on the
field and their class off the field to a large group of young girls
that admire them so. In a world in which we all strive
desperately to hang on to our childhood heroes, only all to often to
discover they are not the immortals we believed, it was a wonderful
thing to see our girls benefit from a once in a lifetime experience
in which they could make a personal connection with true role
models! To that end, we all owe the South Florida ASA Softball
organization a debt of gratitude for bring the game to our area.
The following are photos of a few of the players meeting with girls
from our park...
Jennie Finch and
Haley Fleming
Crystl Bustos
with Morgan Huhn and
Logan Wallace
Tairia Flowers
with Corey Fleming
Cat Osterman
signs a ball for
Aliyah Wise
Lovieanne Jung
with Haley Fleming
Laura Berg with
Ali Irwin
Lauren Lappin
with Brook Frazzetto,
Carson Catasus,
Lindsie Loizzo and
Shelby Turnier
Caitlin Lowe with
Annie Corrigan
Jessica Mendoza
with Kaylie Wallace
Jennie Finch
signs a ball for
Gabrielle Pinder
Jenny Topping with
Haley Fleming
Laura Berg with
Kaitlin Via, Jamie
Wall, Nicki Vasko
and Danielle
Fernandez
Natasha Watley
with Jessie Lopes
Bootsie Roesch
jokes with Crystl
Bustos
Mike Via gets a
laugh out of Monica
Abbott as Katherine
Ferrell and Aleyea
Wise wait to get a
ball signed
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