Softball Takes on Team USA in Memorable Exhibition Game

Saturday, March 8

Clearwater, Fla.

8:30 PM

NC State

USA Softball

Softball Takes on Team USA in Memorable Exhibition Game

3/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

CLEARWATER, Fla. The NC State softball team got the opportunity of a lifetime to take the field with some of the best players in the game when the Pack battled Team USA at the USF Under Armour Invitational on Saturday, March 8. Team USA competed at the tournament as a part of its “Bound for Beijing” tour.

Team USA topped State 13-0 in six innings. The loss will have no bearing on the Pack’s record or statistics.

Lacey Holm picked up an infield single to start the top of the second, but pitcher Lisa Fernandez kept anything else from occurring.

Wolfpack starting hurler Lindsay Campana made quite an impression on the capacity crowd of 2,400 in the bottom of the second, fanning Andrea Duran, Jenny Topping and Jennie Finch. Campana finished with four strikeouts in 3.2 innings after later sitting Finch down again.

Team USA put up two runs in the bottom of the third. Laura Berg got hit by a pitch, and then took third when Caitlin Lowe laid a bunt and Campana tossed the ball to first with nobody covering. Berg later scored on a Jessica Mendoza groundout back to the circle, and Lowe came around on a Crystl Bustos base hit down the third base line.

Lauren Peters reached first on an errant throw by Topping in the top of the fourth.

Lowe moved Team USA’s lead to 5-0 with a three-run shot down the right field line in the bottom of the fourth. Mendy McKenzie replaced Campana in the circle in the latter part of the inning.

Alyssa Ishibashi nearly knocked an Alicia Hollowell pitch out of the park in the top of the fifth, but Mendoza hauled it in on the warning track. Kristine Bechtholdt followed with a walk.

Team USA put its Beijing offense on display for everyone to see with four hits and eight runs in the bottom of the fifth. Stacey Nuveman nailed a three-run bomb to left, and Lauren Lappin scored on a bases loaded walk. Kelly Kretschman came around on a sac-fly to left from Natasha Watley, amd Bustos smacked another three-run monster, this time to left-center.

State returns to the diamond tomorrow, Sunday, March 9, for its final two games at the USF Under Armour Invitational. The Pack will take on Penn State at 9 a.m., before wrapping up its stay with an 11 a.m. contest against Jacksonville.