Former Wildcat All-American Caitlin Lowe stepped up to the plate to lead off for the U.S. Olympic softball team in last night’s exhibition match against No. 9 Arizona in Team USA’s “”Bound 4 Beijing Tour”” opener at Hillenbrand Stadium before a crowd of 2,832.

She dug in with full concentration – just like she always did when she was a Wildcat – swung swiftly at the first pitch of the game and used her breathtaking speed to induce a fielding error, allowing her to reach first base safely.

Before the Wildcats knew it, she was standing on third, something Arizona had grown quite accustomed to relying on over Lowe’s four seasons in Tucson.

But she didn’t score.

“”I was a little eager but that is also how I am as a player. I am going to be aggressive if I see a good pitch,”” said Lowe, who later hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning. “”I felt like I was seeing the ball well and it wasn’t until the end of the game that I had anything to show for it.””

Nevertheless, Team USA continued to follow Lowe’s fast pace in the following frame as Andrea Duran – the first batter of the second inning – took UA pitcher Taryne Mowatt deep to center field to give USA a
1-0 lead.

The U.S. Olympic team went on to explode offensively for 15 more runs – (including) 9 in the seventh (inning )- en route to its 16-0 victory over the Wildcats, more than enough runs for Team USA’s pitching staff.

“”I definitely think that this would be the only time that losing would be fun,”” said Mowatt, who pitched 5 1/3 innings while giving up six runs, three were earned. “”It was a good experience going out there and playing against the best team in the world and seeing where we were at.

“”I think the first couple innings we gave them a run for their money,”” she added.

Team USA picked up right where it left off in 2004’s “”Aiming for Athens Tour”” in which it went 53-0 and outscored its opponents 476-16.

In the first few innings, the Wildcats were right there with Team USA, but a costly mistake on the base paths by freshman Brittany Lastrapes could have quite possibly shifted the
momentum.

Lastrapes hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the first inning and eventually found herself on third base with only one out. Third baseman Jenae Leles hit a line drive to deep center field that somewhat looked like a hit, but it was caught.

Lastrapes was off the base and was unable to tag up for what would have likely been an easy run for the Wildcats, one that would have had them escape the first inning with a lead.

“”Arizona did a really good job for three innings or so and then the game kind of out of hand,”” said Team USA head coach Mike Candrea, who is on leave from the Wildcats. “”Really that’s the way it should (go). It is tough to keep (Team USA) down.””

Team USA was led by its predictably dominant pitching, as it threw four of its five hurlers and none yielded a run.

Former Wildcat Alicia Hollowell – who earned the win -started in the circle and went for two innings while striking out three, while Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman both added two innings, combining for six strikeouts.

Monica Abbott, Arizona’s biggest nemesis in last year’s Women’s College World Series, closed the game by striking out
the side.

“”This is the greatest field in the country so any time we get the chance to step on this field and play it is exciting,”” Finch said. “”Our offense is disgustingly good and trust me I know because we have to face them all the time, so it was actually kind of nice to see them face someone besides ourselves.””