[Alsfastball] USA Softball rallies in eighth for 3-0 win over Japan; Osterman totals 11 Ks in first Olympic start

[Al Doran]

Subject: USA Softball rallies in eighth for 3-0 win over Japan; Osterman 
totals 11 Ks in first Olympic start
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 12:59:04 -0500
From: "Brian McCall" <bmccall at softball.org>


For Immediate Release: 8/16/04



U.S. rallies in eighth for 3-0 win over Japan; Osterman totals 11 Ks



Athens, GREECE – First-time Olympian Cat Osterman (Houston, TX) looked as 
though she were a veteran in the circle on Monday afternoon as she led the 
U.S. to a 3-0 extra inning victory against arch rival Japan.  Scoreless 
through regulation seven innings, the pitcher’s duel between Osterman and 
Japan veteran Yuri Takayama was a classic before the bats of the U.S. 
finally came around in the top of the eighth to improve to 3-0.



“Today was very exciting for our team,” Osterman said. “It was good to be 
able to pitch 2/3 of an inning in our opening game versus Italy. It allowed 
me to get some of the first game jitters out of the way so I could relax 
and pitch my game today.”



A rematch of the 2000 gold medal game, this marked the first time in the 
last six outings that the game was decided by more than one run and the 
fourth time the game had been decided in extra innings.



Osterman was fearless in the circle during regulation totaling 11 
strikeouts and allowing just one hit and one walk.  Japan’s Takayama was 
equally impressive using her defense to hold the U.S. hitless through seven 
innings.



With chants of ‘USA’ echoing throughout the stadium the tides changed as 
the international tie breaker rule was put into effect in the top of the 
eighth.  This rule allows the last batter out from the previous inning to 
be placed on second base.  Pinch- runner Amanda Freed (Cypress, CA) entered 
for the U.S. at second base before a successful sacrifice bunt from Stacey 
Nuveman (La Verne, CA) placed Freed at third with one out.



An incredible at-bat that included 17 pitches, Lovieanne Jung (Fountain 
Valley, CA) battled Takayama before being issued a walk to put runners on 
the corners. Jung’s at-bat was actually extended when Japan third baseman 
Reika Utsugi failed to make a routine play on a foul ball due to the bright 
sunlight.



Coming through in the clutch, Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Beach, FL), 
who was an alternate on the 2000 Olympic team, drove a sacrifice fly to 
centerfield to plate Freed and give the U.S. the run it needed. With the 
momentum in its favor, the U.S. added two insurance runs for the eventual 
3-0 win.



Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, CA) stepped up with a base hit up the middle 
before Jenny Topping (Whittier, CA) was called up as a pinch-hitter. In her 
first at-bat in Olympic competition, she responded like a veteran driving 
her second pitch to right field for a base hit before a fielding error from 
Japanese right fielder Yumi Iwabuchi scored Jung for the 2-0 advantage.

”I have to admit I was a little nervous,” Topping said.  “But I knew my job 
was to put the ball in play.  I really thought they would throw me to the 
inside but I relaxed and just made contact.”

Lead-off Natasha Watley (Irvine, CA), batting .600 in the Games, beat out 
an infield RBI single to score Mendoza to secure the 3-0 U.S. victory.



The U.S. remains as the only unbeaten in Olympic competition has completed 
three games without allowing a run. The win extends the U.S. wins streak to 
73 games in which it has outscored its opposition 621-17.



Continuing round-robin play, the U.S. will continue its journey towards a 
third gold medal on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. (Athens time) when it takes the 
field against 1996 silver medalists China.



NOTES:



YOU HAVE MAIL-The USA Softball Women’s team is receiving over 100 emails a 
day from fans all over the world. The team has been posting the emails on 
the walls of their apartment in the village as inspiration. Fans looking to 
send emails to the team should visit 
<http://www.usasoftball.com/>www.usasoftball.com.



INTERNATIONAL TIE-BREAKER-The U.S. has not fared well in extra inning games 
during Olympic competition and especially when the international 
tie-breaker is used. Coming into today's game with Japan the U.S was 3-4 in 
extra inning games and 2-4 when the international tie-breaker was used.





About ASA

The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National 
Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United 
States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation's largest 
sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a 
network of 91 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred 
teams in the early days to over 240,000 teams and 40,000 umpires today, 
representing a membership of more than three million. For more information 
on the ASA, visit www.asasoftball.com

About USA Softball

USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links 
the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team 
programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and 
promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and 
domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of the 
only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture 
back-to-back gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women 
have also won seven World Championship titles including the last five 
consecutive. For more information about USA Softball, please visit 
www.usasoftball.com.












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