Active.com - World Cup of Softball 3, Presented by KFC

Head coach Mike Candrea says Cat Osterman can get better. The Japanese National Team, who struck out 13 times against Osterman in tonight’s World Cup of Softball final loss 3-0 to Team USA, might beg to differ.

Osterman, recovering from recent surgeries to her ankle and clavicle, showed that she just might be the ace of a stellar pitching staff that allowed only two runs during the entire tournament.  

“Cat spins the ball as good as anyone and has lots of movement,” said Candrea. “When Cat’s ball is breaking that much and they’re missing that much you know she’s on. I really like what I saw.”

For Osterman it was a rematch of last year’s final against Japan. This time though Osterman, with her trademark riseball and backdoor curve, left Japanese hitters completely flustered en route to a three-hit shutout. For coach Candrea it was the fulfillment of potential he first saw from the Texas hurler back in 2004.

“Cat’s a very good pitcher. I’ve seen her mature a lot,” Candre said. “She’s become a smarter pitcher. There’s a lot of growing up at this level and she has become the total package.”

Osterman set a new World Cup of Softball record with thirteen strikeouts in the game --and the team needed every single one of them. Team USA’s offense, which had blistered nearly every other team in the tournament, was held to just three runs by a Japanese squad who used five separate pitchers over the course of the game.

Still the approach wasn’t enough to stop the torrid hitting of Tairia Flowers who finished with three homeruns and 11 RBI in the tournament, virtually cementing her place on the team for the Beijing Olympics.

“It takes some time to get comfortable with a pitcher. So the Japanese threw us off slightly tonight. But we’ve seen them all before and we just went in there and stayed aggressive.”

Despite the tournament win Team USA can’t celebrate too long. From here the girls travel to Brazil for the Pan Am Games and then prepare for the all-important national team tryouts in Chula Vista, California before beginning a playing tour that begins in February and concludes with summer games in Beijing that might represent the swan song for softball on the Olympic level.  

For now though the girls can enjoy the win and realize winning tournaments like these is the best way to ensure that the sport of softball grows, both in this country, and in the diverse countries that participate in the World Cup of Softball.

It had been so long since the U.S. National Team had seen the bottom end of a fifth inning, some wondered if the team was prepared for a game that didn’t provide them a nine-run lead. That was until tonight.

Behind the dominant one-two punch of Monica Abbott and Jennie Finch, along with a two-run dinger from possible MVP candidate Tairia Flowers, the Team USA passed their sternest test of the World Cup tournament by defeating Japan 4-1 before a sold-out crowd in Oklahoma City.

For awhile it looked like business as usual when Crystl Bustos doubled in Caitlin Lowe in the first inning. Japan answered with a run of their own in the third, and would have had more, if not for an amazing play by Jenny Topping who received a throw up the line from Jessica Mendoza and tagged out the runner at the plate. Though Topping has yet to get a hit during the tournament her stellar defense is being noticed by her teammates -- especially her battery mate Finch.

“That’s what makes it easier to pitch when you know you have the world’s best defense behind you,” said Finch. “That catch that Toppy made really fired us up.”

Finch was inspirational herself – striking out 10 of 15 batters she faced in her two appearances on the day. Any rustiness she may have had in last year’s tournament, following the birth of her son Ace, seems to have disappeared as Finch regains the velocity and movement she had in 2005.

“I feel much better this year. I had a whole year to train and rebound and it’s made the difference,” said Finch.

With the win the U.S. squad moves to 4-0 and a likely rematch with Japan in the World Cup of Softball final. Tomorrow Team USA takes on a resurgent Canada team for the first time this season and possibly Canadian pitcher Danielle Lawrie – a foe many American hitters have struggled against.

We asked USA Softball infielder Vicky Galindo to give us a few tips on how she gets such a quick jump on the ball when playing defense. Below is a three-step process she uses before every pitch to get in the best possible defensive position she can.

1) Pay attention to the pitch. Recognizing what pitch is being thrown helps put you in position to make a good play. (Knowing what your teammates like to throw in certain situations also helps.)

2) Pay attention to the batter. If she's late getting to the ball or pulls off this can affect how the ball will get to you. So watch every at-bat carefully.

3) Pay attention to the situation. If there's a runner on first you might play a little bit in so you can turn double play. Anything that can help the team.

Vicky Galindo may be 5’4 but this former all-American from UC Berkeley is still a formidable offensive player for the U.S. National Team. Here she reveals how coaching softball improved her play on the field and just how important the next few months will be in determining whether she goes to Beijing.

As a fellow Berkeley grad myself I’ll start off with a very insightful and important question. It’s Friday night in Berkeley. You’re hungry. Do you go Blondie’s Pizza or Top Dog?

Oh, I love Top Dog. Top Dog all the way. Especially at two in the morning. (Laughs)

What do you think Cal softball has to do to overcome those pesky Arizona Wildcats in the Pac-10? (Arizona just recently won their 8th softball national championship.)

I don’t know. I’m going to have to go back and have a chat with those Cal girls. I guess I’ve got some phone calls to make.

On a serious note, Coach Diana Ninemire has had an astounding 20 straight winning seasons at Cal. What do you think is the secret to her success?

She’s just great overall. She definitely makes sure that the girls are taken care of. Because she works with what she has to work with. I mean, to be honest, we don’t have the best facilities for softball. Which is tough -- because we have such a great program at Cal. But she gets the most out of whatever she has and that’s why she’s successful.

What did you learn from her that you’ve applied here on the national team?

Just hard work and being able to be flexible. To play different positions. And being able to take a leadership role. That’s important to me and that started at Cal.

Speaking of different positions, you’ve bounced around a little bit in the infield playing both second and third on the national team. Is there one position you feel more comfortable at? Or does it not matter?

Before I played third base at Cal I was a middle infielder. I definitely like playing middle infield because you have more range – you can go after balls up the middle. I think playing three years at third in college and then moving from left to right back to second was a challenge at first. But right now I feel really comfortable.

You’re currently working as a softball coach at San Jose State. Do you find coaching helps improve your game on the field?

Absolutely. It’s huge. This is going to sound really silly. But as a coach, when players make mental mistakes and you’re like “Oh my Gosh! What was she thinking?” It makes me remember what it’s like to be a player.

And then I get out here as a player and make a mistake and I think “Coach is probably going to kill me.” It actually slows the game down.

Is coaching something you’d like to pursue after your playing career ends?

I think so. Depending on if I make the Olympic team, I’ll wait to start grad school. Otherwise I’ll start grad school and get a master’s and become a coach.

In the games leading up to the World Cup you’ve hit in different parts of the batting order. Do you take a different approach whether you hit top or bottom of the order?

Oh definitely. I need that. Sometimes I feel like I struggle with the mentality of hitting in different places in the batting order. When you’re hitting number two you’ve got to think “Hit the ball on the ground. Move the runners.” You’ll get different pitches up there than you will at the bottom. So you definitely have to think about it before you get in there and start swinging at pitches.

Any pre-game rituals or superstitions you’d like to share?

Not really. What usually happens is when the tournament starts and I have a good game I try to remember what I did before that game. If I wear my hair straight for five days in a row, then you’ll know it’s because I’m going well.

Besides winning the World Cup here, do you have any personal goals during the tournament?

For me I just want to make sure I don’t make any errors, that I don’t make any mental mistakes. I just want to play perfect ball. Because for me, personally, this is a big summer. We have our Olympic try outs coming up and I just want to make sure I secure my place on the team. Because you never know.

Speaking of the Olympics does the fact that there are no games in 2012 give the games next year some added significance?

It does. Especially for me. Because I started right after the girls got back from Athens in 2004. And every year you think, “Oh my Gosh! I don’t know if I’m going to make the team.” And then you keep making the team. And now it’s that last selection. So I really hope I make the team this year. To be this close and not make it would be…I don’t even want to think about it!

Any advice for those young softball fans -- even those who won’t attend Cal -- on what they can do to become an elite softball player?

It’s just really important to have that passion and that love for the game. That’s what got me to where I am. If you lose that it’s kind of tough. Just keep the passion.

The third World Cup of Softball gets underway this week in Oklahoma City, and Active.com will be there to provide you with behind-the-scenes coverage of all the action. Michael Clarke and Trish Oberhaus report on what's happening on and off the field, with the hometown USA Softball squad, and all the teams from around the world. A bonus feature found on Active.com's coverage will be blogging by USA Softball star, Jessica Mendoza. Find out what it's really like to take the field wearing your country's uniform--and have sky-high expectations from the home crowd. The World Cup of Softball...July 12-16.