MARACAY, VENEZUELA – Tamara Holmes became the first USA Baseball Women’s National Team player to hit an out-of-the park home run in the team’s 21-0 win over South Korea Sunday in World Cup action. Current team members Malaika Underwood and Karen Costes both hit inside-the-park home runs in Japan in 2008.

Holmes also became the first player to go yard in consecutive at-bats as the outfielder drove in six runs on two hits, including belting a grand slam in her second at-bat. Wynne McCann fueled the USA offense with four RBIs while Jenna Marson and Clarisa Navarro combined for six RBIs with three apiece.

Starter Loren Smith blanked South Korea for three innings, yielding just four hits while walking one for the win (1-0). Christin Sobeck pitched two hitless innings, striking out two and walking one.

Tara Harbert was hit by the pitch to lead off the first inning for the visiting red, white and blue and stole second before Marston was issued a four-pitch walk. Harbert stole third and South Korea pitcher Mi Hiu Kim’s struggled continued as the right-hander walked Holmes to load the bases for Sarah Gascon, who punched a two-out single to left, giving the U.S. a 1-0 lead. 

A hit batsman and a walk put runners on first and second for South Korea in the bottom of the first but Smith induced a grounder to second for the double play and Dae Lee Kwok was picked off at third to end the inning.

USA loaded the bases again in the top of the second for Marston who hit a two-run double to center. The rally continued as Navarro drew a four-pitch walk and Holmes capitalized, sending the ball over the left-field fence, giving the U.S. an 7-0 lead. McCann extended the lead to eight with an RBI single to, scoring Gascon from second.

Harbert was hit by the pitch for the third time to lead off the third and stole second before being cashed in on a double from Marston for a 9-0, U.S. lead. Navarro delivered the RBI single through the left side and  Holmes smacked her second home run of the game to left to give the team a 12-run lead. Laura Espinoza-Watson and Gascon hit consecutive singles and Alex Hebert was hit by the pitch, loading the bases for McCann, who stroked a two-run double off the left-field wall. Malaika Underwood followed with a sacrifice fly to score Hebert. The scoring barrage continued as Navarro doubled to right, driving in McCann and pinch-hitter Nicki Holt for a 17-0 lead.

South Korea strung together three singles to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the third but Smith induced Kyong Hi Yu to ground out to third for the 5-2-3 inning-ending double play.

Karen Costes singled to lead off the top of the fifth and South Korea committed consecutive errors as the U.S. loaded the bases. Ashley Sujkowski grounded to second for the force, pushing across Costes and Anna Kimbrell doubled down the left-field line to drive in a pair of unearned runs. McCann worked a bases-loaded walk to plate Kimbrell, capping the scoring for the U.S.

Mi Hui Kim gave up eight runs in two innings to fall as South Korea fell to 0-2 in tournament action.

The U.S. next takes on Cuba