Eriksen Leads USA to 2020 Olympics, Wins Gold at World Championship
CHIBA, Japan (Aug. 12, 2018) – USA Softball, coached by USF head coach
Ken Eriksen, clinched a spot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for the first time in 12 years. The Eagles followed the news with an extra-inning win (7-6, 10-inn.) over Japan to earn the title of World Champion.
Just yesterday, the Red, White and Blue fought Japan to an extra-inning win (4-3, 8 inn.) in the playoffs to secure a spot in the gold medal game. The significance of that win wouldn't be realized until Japan secured its own spot in the final.
Japan punched its ticket to the championship game versus Team USA with a 3-0 win over Canada. With Japan's automatic berth to the Olympic Games as host, the United States clinched the first of five available qualifying spots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
After learning that their spot to the Olympics was locked in, the Eagles had another task before them. They would have to rematch Japan for the title of World Champion.
For the second straight game, Team USA would battle Japan to extra innings and prevail. The undefeated (10-0) Red, White and Blue won gold with another walk-off win, this time by way of a two-out rally in the 10
th inning. Japan took a 6-4 lead in the top of the 10
th frame, but the Eagles were ready to show their resilience.
An RBI single from Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) started momentum for Team USA, and Michele Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) followed up with a single of her own to put runners on the corners. With two outs, a ground-rule double from Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.) drove in the tying run, and a single down the left field line from Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) scored the final run needed to make Team USA the back-to-back World Champions.
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The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012.
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