Live Updates World Games Softball: Team USA vs. Italy

Updates, stats and analysis from the Hoover Met as Team USA opens up play at the 2022 World Games.

Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Network

HOOVER, Ala. — The only team at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham that features a current and former Crimson Tide athlete was scheduled to open play at the event Saturday night. Thunderstorms and heavy at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium did not allow any gameplay on Saturday night, but now Team USA is back on Sunday ready to play two.

The U.S. Women's National Team will play Italy at 6:30 p.m., and then play Sunday's originally scheduled opponent Chinese Taipei right after. 

Outfielder Haylie McCleney and pitcher Montana Fouts are representing the Crimson Tide on the Team USA roster. McCleney is in the starting lineup for game one in the leadoff spot in centerfield. 

The game is not televised, but part of it can be streamed on The World Games 24/7 Channel on Olympics.com, or you can also follow along here on BamaCentral for live updates throughout.

BE SURE TO REFRESH YOUR BROWSER FOR THE VERY LATEST UPDATES!

(latest updates at the top)

Live Updates

FINAL: United States 6, Italy 0

Bottom 7

• And another strikeout from Fouts ends the game. USA wins 6-0

• Italy stays alive with a two-out single.

• Strikeout number six for Fouts to open the seventh. 

• Fouts comes back out for the seventh and will try to finish this one out. 

Top 7

MID 7: United States 6, Italy 0

• A groundout to second ends the inning. 

• Nickles lines out on the first pitch, but Hansen advances to second on an errant throw after the lineout.  

• Bubba Nickles comes in to pinch hit for Mulipola. 
• Hansen drops a single over the second baseman's head for her third hit of the game. 

• Flippen becomes the first U.S. player to strike out tonight. She's also the only starter without a hit for Team USA.

Bottom 6

END 6: United States 6, Italy 0

• Fouts gets out of the jam with her fifth strikeout. 

• Some indecision from Jefferson at second base allows the Italian hitter to reach. It looked like the runner was out at first, but after all the officials get together to discuss, the call stands as safe. Runners on first and second with two outs. 

• Fouts picks up her fourth strikeout for the second out, but gives up a two-out walk. 

• Fouts is back out for the bottom of the sixth, and she makes a nice snag in the circle for the first out. 

Top 6

MID 6: United States 6, Italy 0

• Echols grounds out for the final out of the frame.

• Lorenz puts a charge in one, but it is caught right up against the centerfield wall for the second out. 

• McCleney is called out for leaving early trying to steal second.  

• McCleney rips one off the first basemen's glove for her first hit of the game. Italy will make a pitching change. 

• And now McCleney will lead off for the U.S.

Bottom 5

END 5: United States 6, Italy 0

Crowd is loving Montana’s third strikeout in a row. https://t.co/wtN971wvT7 pic.twitter.com/kP8D3amq1J

— Katie Windham (@katiewindham_) July 11, 2022

• And Fouts strikes out the side in the 5th. 

• Fouts gets a strikeout looking to the first batter she faces. 

• Alabama pitcher Montana Fouts enters to pitch for Team USA and garners the loudest reaction from the crowd of the night. 

Top 5

MID 5: United States 6, Italy 0

• Jefferson lines out to left to end the half inning. 

• A sac fly from Moultrie scores Hansen. USA 6, Italy 0

• Pleasants hits into a fielder's choice. Runners on the corners with one out. 

• Back to back singles for the Eagles. Mulipola reaches for two on with no outs. Team USA is up to 10 hits in the game. 

• Hansen lines one up the middle on the first pitch she sees for a leadoff single. 

Bottom 4

END 4: United States 5, Italy 0

• Nothing doing for the Italians in the 4th. Carda picks up her fifht and sixth strikeouts. 

Top 4

MID 4: United States 5, Italy 0

• Echols has a two-out double, but a flyout from Flippen ends the half inning. 

• McCleney hits one all the way out to the fence in left field. It is caught, but brings in a run on the sac fly. USA 5, Italy 0

• Janae Jefferson hits one in the right/center gap and turns on the jets for a leadoff triple. 

Bottom 3

END 3: United States 4, Italy 0

• Carda's fourth strikeout ends the inning. 

• Fabrizia Marrone legs out a one-out infield single. 

Top 3

MID 3: United States 4, Italy 0

• A diving stop by Italy's seconde basemen robs Moultrie of a hit. The Eagles don't score for the second inning in a row. 

• Mulipola with a one-out single up the middle for her first hit of the day. 

Bottom 2

END 2: United States 4, Italy 0

• Three up, three down for Italy in the 2nd. Carda adds two more strikeouts. 

Top 2

MID 2: United States 4, Italy 0

• Echols pops out, and Flippen grounds into a double play. Three up, three down for the Eagles in the 2nd. 

• Lorenz leads off with a single. Her second hit in as many at-bats. 

Bottom 1- Italy batting

END 1: United States 4, Italy 0

• A flyout to left field ends the 1st inning. Carda keeps Italy off the board. 

• A strikeout goes for the second out. 

• Amanda Fama lines one out to right field for Italy's first hit. 

• A lengthy at-bat from Italy's leadoff hitter ends in a pop up. One out.

• Former UCLA pitcher Ally Carda is in the circle for Team USA. 

Top 1- USA batting

MID 1: United States 4, Italy 0

• McCleney lines out, and that will end the top of the first. 

• Jefferson draws a walk, and the U.S. will bat around in the first. McCleney is back up to bat with the bases loaded and two outs. 

• Moultrie catches the LSU defense sleeping and lays down a bunt. She is safe, and the runner comes in to score from third to push the Team USA's lead to 4-0. 

• LSU's Taylor Pleasants singles through the right side, and two more runs comes in to score. USA 3, Italy 0

• A fielder's choice off the bat of Mulipola gets the lead runner at home. Bases loaded with two outs. 

• Oklahoma catcher Kinzie Hansen singles up the middle, and the U.S. takes a 1-0 lead. McCleney scores the first run of the World Games for Team USA. Bases stay loaded with one out. 

• Flippen draws a walk, and the bases are loaded with one out.

• Echols hits a hard liner out to center, but Italy's centerfielder makes a diving grab for the first out. 

• Lorenz follows with a single up the middle. Runners on first and second with no outs for USA. 

• McCleney draws the leadoff walk. 

• The first pitch from Alexia Lacatena is a ball, and we are officially underway from the Hoover Met. 
• Team USA is the visiting team, and Haylie McCleney will lead off for the Americans. 

Pregame

• Australia wins 3-0, and it looks like we should be on time for the 6:30 first pitch between Team USA and Italy. 

• The sun is shining and a rainbow is overlooking the first base side of the Hoover Met. The weather is much more cooperative for softball today. Puerto Rico and Australia enter the seventh inning with Australia holding a 3-0 lead. 

Saturday

• Italy and USA will now play Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Then, Team USA will play its previously scheduled Sunday opponent, Chinese Taipei, right after.

• 9:20 p.m.- There will not be a softball game for Team USA tonight. Play has officially been cancelled at the Hoover Met. 

• Throughout this whole delay, there have been fans waiting it out in the concourses and in the covered seats. 

• 8:45 p.m.- Lightning has started up all around the Hoover Met again.

• 8:20 p.m.- The rain is still coming down, but water is being scraped off the tarp, and the outfield fence is being worked on.

• 7:48 p.m. -Lightning has stopped in the area, and the tarp will be lifted off the field in about 30 minutes to check the condition of the field. Then officials will determine if the U.S. and Italy attempt to play tonight or not. 

• Japan and Australia are going to leave the stadium and will not resume play tonight. They will pick up on another day. Officials from USA and Italy will evaluate in about an hour if they want to attempt to play tonight.

• Players from Team Japan are taking selfies with fans outside the dugout. 

Team USA Starting Lineup

1. Haylie McCleney- CF

2. Amanda Lorenz- LF

3. Charla Echols- 3B

4. Hannah Flippen- SS

5. Kinzie Hansen- C

6. Dejah Mulipola- DP

7. Taylor Pleasants- SS

8. Michelle Moultire- RF

9. Janae Jefferson- 2B

Starting Pitcher- Ally Carda