The U.S. Women’s National Team took on Australia in the USA Softball International Cup on Thursday night at Devon Park. The Eagles came away with a dominant 12-0 win in four innings. The U.S. hit 4 home runs and pitched a clean game to take this one quickly.
In the bottom of the first inning, the U.S. jumped ahead big. Maya Brady got on with a one-out single and came home on an Australian error. Then, after Tiare Jennings reached via walk, Skylar Wallace belted a two-run home run.
To wrap up the sequence, Dejah Mulipola reached on a double, and after advancing on a passed ball, scored on a Megan Grant sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
Lexi Kilfoyl gave up a leadoff single in the top of the second, but bounced back with a dominant inning. She recorded 3 consecutive strikeouts to move her total to 4 in 2 innings pitched. Kilfoyl worked both sides of the plate well.
The U.S. Women’s National Team kept the runs coming in the bottom of the second. After Alyssa Brito led off with a single, Janae Jefferson smashed a two-run homer to right field to increase the lead to six. That sparked a pitching change for Australia, as Grace Wrixon gave the ball to Jayme Reddacliff. She got out of the inning with no further damage.
After Kilfoyl retired the top of the third in order, the U.S. put on more. After Wallace reached on a bunt single and stole second, Mulipola cleared the center field wall for a two-run home run to make it 8-0. Grant followed with a single up the middle, and then with one out Aubrey Leach pinch-hit in place of Brito.
Leach showed a good eye and worked a six-pitch walk. Then, with Jefferson batting, both runners moved up 60 feet on a wild pitch from Reddacliff before Jefferson reached on a walk to load the bases. That was it for Reddacliff, and Australia went to Amelia Fidge.
Fidge struck out Jayda Coleman, but could not get out of the inning unscathed. Brady cleared them all with a grand slam to put the U.S. up 12-0. That put the game in run-rule territory for the fourth inning according to the international rules. Rachel Garcia took the ball for the U.S. Women’s National Team and closed out the game, with two strikeouts recorded in the inning.
The U.S. Women’s National Team will face Canada on Friday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
