2000 USA WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM ST. LOUIS EXHIBITION DOUBLEHEADER Updated: August 12, 2000

 2000 Exhibition in St. Louis Results
USA National Team---10  St. Louis All Stars---0
USA National Team---5  St. Louis All Stars---0

Fernandez throws fifth consecutive perfect game

ST. LOUIS, MO--Lisa Fernandez (Long Beach, CA) threw her fifth consecutive perfect game Friday night, 11 August 2000, and it was the ultimate pitching performance. In fact, it was the perfect, perfect game.  Fernandez, a right-hander, struck out all 21 batters she faced in the USA Softball Women's National Team 5-0 victory over the St. Louis All-Stars. The game was the closer of a double-header, and it followed right on the heels of a no-hit pitching performance from Lori Harrigan (Las Vegas, NV), which Team USA won 10-0 in five innings. With the victories, USA Softball improved to 49-0 on its 'Central Park to Sydney Tour', and increased its overall win streak to 96 games.  Fernandez has now pitched 37 consecutive perfect innings - retiring 111straight batters - en route to what is believed to be the finest run of pitching in softball history. Friday night's perfect game was the first time in her illustrious career that she had struck out all 21 batters in a regulation, seven-inning game.  An error on a shot from Leah O'Brien-Amico (Chino Hills, CA) was followed by back-to-back singles from Teri Klement-Goldberg (Ft.Collins, CO) and Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, CA) to generate the first run of the game. Jennifer Brundage (Ann Arbor, MI) roped a two-run double and a fielder's choice from Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, FL) made the score 4-0 before the first U.S. at-bat was over, but Fernandez already had all the run support she would need.  The final tally was marked in the bottom of the third, when Brundage ripped her team-high 16th home run of the tour. This one was a lead-off shot that cleared the center field wall. Brundage finished the contest with two hits, as did Klement-Goldberg and Kretschman.

Harrigan would have pitched a perfect game in the opener of the twin bill, but a misplayed pop up in front of the plate resulted in an error. The initially lucky batter was later erased from the base paths when she was caught attempting to steal, so Harrigan did face the minimum of batters. Harrigan finished her game with 14 strikeouts. Bustos hit a line-drive homer to left field that scored two and Sheila Douty (Diamond Bar, CA) had a solo shot to right, but the home run of the night came from center fielder Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, CA). Berg, without a home run through the first 47 games of the tour, ended the game with her two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth.  Berg concluded the contest with three hits, including a double, and three RBI. Bustos had two hits and three runs batted in, while Douty wound up 3-for-3, including a stand-up triple in the second, with a pair of runs driven in. Christie Ambrosi (Overland Park, KS) recorded two hits and Fernandez added an RBI-single. 

1996 Exhibition in St. Louis Results
ASA/USA---6  St. Louis All Stars---0
ASA/USA---1   St. Louis Classics---0

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