Poland’s Gabriel earns victory for Team USA

Photo

Gabriel

Staff report

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Poland High senior Erin Gabriel pitched three scoreless innings for Team USA on Sunday in an 8-0, five-inning victory over South Africa in pool play of the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women’s World Championshipa.

Team USA is 5-0 in pool play with two games remaining before the elimination round.

Gabriel received her first start of the tournament in Sunday’s game. After South Africa’s Natalie Abrahams singled to right field and Christine Cronje walked in the first, Gabriel kept the South Africans off the bases. She struck out three batters.

“I was fortunate enough to get the home crowd, South Africa, so it was pretty loud and pretty exciting.” Gabriel said. “It gave me a lot of adrenaline.

“I couldn’t really hear what was going on in our own dugout, which was kind of hard, but once I calmed myself down and got used to the [20 second] pitching timer, everything went well,” Gabriel said.

At 17 years old, Gabriel is the youngest member of the 17-person 2011 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team. She is the only team member still in high school and has signed a National Letter of Intent with Tennessee.

Last spring, Gabriel’s Bulldogs won the Division II state championship.

“Erin impressed me with how well she performed in front of the enthusiastic South African crowd. It was a great crowd,” Team USA Head Coach Karen Johns (Whippany, N.J.) said. “They were extremely supportive throughout the whole game.

“Sometimes a young pitcher can really let an tough opposing crowd affect her performance but Erin did a nice job of playing her game,” Johns said.” She kept her focus and her intensity no matter how loud the fans were at times.”

Team USA’s other wins were against Botswana 17-0 in three innings, Canada 11-4 in five innings, China 5-0 and New Zealand 7-0.