Scaglione Ignites USA To Opening Win

Madrid, Spain -- Despite battling a bit of jetlag the USA Elite team looked refreshed against Italy on day one of the Intercontinental Cup to pick up a 6-0 win. After landing in Madrid just 24 hours earlier, the U.S. took the field and got the bats going early.

Lindsay Schutzler (Monterey, Calif.) led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single and stole second to put herself in scoring position. With two out, Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill.) walked and moved up 60 feet with Schutzler following a wild pitch. Heather Scaglione (San Diego, Calif.) capitalized on the wild pitch with a single up the middle to score both her teammates for a 2-0 lead.

“It's always nice to go out and pitch with a lead,” said U.S. starter Jennie Ritter. “I was able to execute our game plan and get ahead of a lot of hitters early and that helped me build momentum.”

Intercontinental Cup Central | Box Score

It was another two out rally in the fourth that produced two more runs for the U.S. Back-to-back single by Schutzler and Nicole Giordano (Saugus, Calif.) got things started and a single to left field by Mackenzie Vandergeest (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) plated Schutzler for a 3-0 lead. Consecutive wild pitches advanced Giordano home for the final run of the inning.

A lead-off walk to Scaglione coupled with a double by Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich.) pushed the U.S. lead to 5-0. The double was the second of the game for Merchant who was also spectacular defensively at shortstop.

Schutzler got things going again in the sixth inning with a leadoff single and Vandergeest drove in her second run of the game with a single down the left field line to account for the final run of the game.

Schutzler led the offensive attack for the USA Elite going 3-for-4 and scoring three times. Vandergeest was 2-for-4 with two RBI while Scaglione also contributed two RBI.

Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich.) was dominating in the circle to pick up the win. She did not allow a hit in four innings of work and struck out seven before being relieved by Dana Sorensen (San Diego, Calif.) in the fifth. Sorensen secured the shutout working three innings while allowing only one hit.

Head coach Teresa Wilson, who picked up her first international win as a head coach, was pleased with her team's performance against Italy.

“I thought our pitcher's did a great job today of working ahead in the count, executing their pitches and really controlling the zone. I thought the entire team came out today and put the jetlag behind them and performed well. That say's a lot for the type of discipline these player's have.”

The USA Elite Team returns to action tonight when they face Spain following the opening ceremonies.

Intercontintental Game-by-Game: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Playoffs

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