August 16, 2010 | Story by: Hal Goodtree | Categories: Baseball, Featured, News
Photo by Karl Fisher. Taken earlier this month in Cary before the trip to Venezuela.
Cary, NC – Play resumed at the International Baseball Federation Women’s World Cup in Venezuela after a Hong Kong player was hit with a bullet on Friday.
Cheuk Woon-yee was hit in the calf and fell to the ground as she was taking the field in the fourth inning.
Officials suspended the tournament and have decided to move the games to the nearby city of Maracay.
USA Blanks Cuba
Play resumed for the USA team, which trains in Cary, on Sunday with a 5-0 win over Cuba. USA Baseball sent us this summary:
Marti Sementelli pitched a complete-game shutout to lead Team USA to a 5-0 win over Cuba Sunday at the Aviacion Stadium. With the win, the U.S. clinches a spot in the medal round.
Sementelli struck out nine and limited Cuba to just four hits while walking one to pick up the win.
“Obviously, Marti was a key player in today’s win,” said head coach Don Freeman. “She pounded the strike zone and Cuba wasn’t able to mount a threat.”
Malaika Underwood broke the scoreless tie, putting Team USA up 1-0 in the top of the fifth after sending a 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence, giving the U.S. its third home run of the day.
Jenny Dalton-Hill sparked the USA sixth with a single up the middle and took second on the sacrifice by Wynne McCann. A passed ball by Cuba put Dalton-Hill on third and USA turned to Ghazaleh Sailors to pinch run. With one out, Karen Costes executed on the suicide squeeze, as Sailors scored for the 2-0 edge. An error by Cuba extended the frame, putting runners on first and third. The U.S. called for the double steal and Veronica Alvarez would cross the plate for the three-run lead.
“When Malaika hit the home run, our team was able to relax and the suicide squeeze by Karen in the sixth to score Ghazaleh really deflated the Cuban team,” said Freeman. “She really laid down a great bunt.”
Cuba mounted a threat in the bottom of the sixth, putting runners on second and third with two outs but Sementelli struck out pinch hitter Dainari Morales to end the inning and keep Team Cuba off the scoreboard.
Tamara Holmes, who registered six RBIs earlier in the day against South Korea, added another against Cuba with a triple to center to score Clarisa Navarro from first. Holmes would cruise home on McCann’s single up the middle.
“Everyday we’ve have a different offensive key hit. But day after day, we continue to get key hits from Wynne McCann. She’s been doing a great job and we hope she can continue it throughout the tournament,” said Freeman.
McCann was 2-for-3 at the plate while Jenna Marston paced USA with three hits. Navarro and Holmes finished the day with two hits apiece.
Cuba pitcher Mabel Cuello took the loss, giving up one run on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
The U.S. takes on Puerto Rico Monday at 3:30 p.m. in the final game of pool play.
