Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-25 17:20:34

(BEIJING, August 25) — The Softball and Baseball tournaments at the Beijing 2008 Olympics were filled with dazzling skills, compelling action, inspiring sportsmanship, and fascinating results.

The traditional North American powers of the United States and Cuba faced a not entirely unexpected challenge from skilled Asian teams based in Japan and the Republic of Korea, and in the end found themselves on the short end of the bat.

The Baseball tournament was really a four team affair. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Cuba faced the Republic of Korea in the gold medal game and lost to them for the second time in the tournament. The combination of speed and power is deadly in baseball and a deep and balanced club from the Republic of Korea had too much for the aging but excellent Cubans.

Two more famed baseball nations contested the bronze medal, with the former Olympic champion United States’ minor league prospects coming out on top of Japan’s first-line professionals.

Four game but overmatched ball clubs from Chinese Taipei, Canada, China and the Netherlands filled out the entry list and they played the game well, but the four won less games in total than gold medal winner the Republic of Korea did by itself. The six wins in the bottom half of the standings just matched the silver medalist Cuba.

Baseball, like its fellow native basketball, has long since moved into an international arena, though critically, it does not enjoy wide popularity in Europe. Throughout the Americas it is the grand old game, and with the results from Beijing, we can see that the epicenter of world-class amateur baseball has moved across the Pacific.

The trend was mirrored to perfection in the sister sport of Softball, where three teams had winning records in the preliminary round and those same three earned medals in the playoffs, crowning a first time Olympic champion.

The Team USA juggernaut ran up against an immovable pitcher from Japan. Ueno Yukiko pitched 28 innings in 36 hours, losing the early playoff game to Team USA and then winning the last two, against bronze medal winner Australia and the gold medal grand finale.

This was the first defeat for the three time defending Olympic champion United States Softball team in eight years, although they had defeated Japan twice earlier in this tournament. Timing is everything, in hitting as well as the Page playoff system, and Ueno allowed her highly favored opponents none in either.

The Olympic venues at Fengtai Softball Field and Wukesong Baseball Field are cozy and well kept and were filled with happy cheering fans of a game that feels right at home in Asia.

Updated: 2008-08-21 22:40:42

(BEIJING, August 21) — Japan pulled off the biggest upset in the world of Softball, and perhaps of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, defeating the previously unbeatable United States 3-1 in the gold medal game at Fengtai Softball Field on Thursday, August 21.

Japan put the first run of the game on the board in the third inning. Karino Ayumi beat out a ground ball hit deep to shortstop, allowing Mishina Masumi to score from third base. It was the first earned run given up by any of the Team USA pitchers in the tournament.

The second earned run came when Japan’s center fielder Yamada Eri dropped one of Cat Osterman’s pitches over the center field fence to lead off the fourth inning.

The United States got one run back in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff batter Crystl Bustos connected with a Ueno Yukiko pitch and pumped it into the right center field stands. The homerun was Bustos’s sixth of the Games and the 14th in her Olympic career, both Olympic records.

But the wheels came off for the US team in the top of the seventh inning. Two errors, including one on a play at the plate by relief pitcher Monica Abbott, enabled Hirose Megu to score Japan’s third run and end the United State’s domination of the sport at the Olympics.

Ueno, who pitched 21 innings over two games Wednesday to get Japan into the gold medal games, picked up the victory after losing to Team USA the previous day. She pitched all seven innings, giving up one run, five hits and two walks. She struck out four batters to win her fifth game of the tournament.

Osterman shouldered the loss for the pre-tournament favorites, her first of the Games. She gave up two runs on three hits in five innings, striking out nine batters. Abbott gave up one run and two hits in two innings of work, striking out three batters.

Japan finished the tournament with a record of eight victories and two losses to capture its first gold medal in Softball. They won the silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Games and the bronze four years ago in Athens.

The United States took home its first non-gold medal ever in four tournaments. The silver medalists completed the tournament with eight wins and one loss. The loss to Japan marked the United State’s first in Olympic competition in nearly eight years, when Australia defeated them 2-1 on September 21 during the Sydney 2000 Games. Australia won the bronze medal here in Beijing.

Updated: 2008-08-21 21:30:30

A general view of action (Photo credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Japan beat the United States 3-1 to win the gold medal in the Softball competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 21.

Silver medal went to the United States, while Australia took bronze.

Cat Osterman (Photo credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
Yukiko Ueno (Photo bcredit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
Pitcher Cat Osterman (Photo credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Updated: 2008-08-21 01:11:08

(BEIJING, August 20) — The United States and Japan reprise their gold medal face-off from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games at Fengtai Softball Field on Thursday, August 21.

Team United States defeated Japan 2-1 in eight innings in the gold medal game in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

The United States also defeated Japan 4-1 in the first semi-final of Beijing 2008 on August 20. The loss dropped Japan into the final round play-off game with Australia for the right to meet the United States in the gold medal game. Japan defeated Australia 4-3 in 12 innings, awarding Australia with the bronze medal.

Japan took the United States to nine innings before losing the semifinal game. Cat Osterman was forced into relief work when starter Monica Abbott began to tire, which is most likely not what the United States wanted as Osterman is its likely starter for the gold medal game.

However, Japan starter Ueno Yukiko was forced to pitch 21 innings in two games on Wednesday. Despite the fact she was still throwing the ball at more than 100 km/h by the end of Wednesday, Ueno worked far more innings than Japan would have liked. United States pitching may have the edge over Japan because of this.

The United States had not played against Ueno during the preliminary round, and it showed on Wednesday. The United States managed just four hits off Ueno until they broke out with their four-run ninth inning. They will have to adjust to her speed and style overnight to maximize their victory chances.

Although Japan scored when Sachiko Ito singled home Motoko Fujimoto in the ninth inning, it was not considered an earned run as Fujimoto started the inning on second base (per the International Softball Federation’s tie-breaker rule for extra innings). The United States pitching staff’s 0.00 earned run average is still intact going into Thursday’s game.

Crystl Bustos hit her fifth home run of the Beijing 2008 Games against Ueno in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s game. That tied her own record for home runs in a single Olympics (set four years ago in Athens) and increased her career home run output to 13, another record.

The United States takes a .347 batting average into Thursday’s game. Japan’s team batting average is .241.

The United States has five of the top 10 leaders in batting average, headlined by Bustos and her .500 average.

Japan has two players in the top 10. Sato Rie and Fujimoto are tied at .346.

Updated: 2008-08-20 23:00:47

(BEIJING, August 20) — Nishiyama Rei drove Mishina Masumi home with the winning run as Japan defeated Australia 4-3 in a marathon 12-inning bronze medal game at Fengtai Softball Field on Wednesday.

The victory catapulted Japan into Thursday’s gold medal grand final with the United States and gave Australia its third bronze medal in four Olympic appearances.

Under the provisions of the International Softball Federation’s tie-breaker rule, a team at bat from the eighth inning forward starts their half of the inning with a runner already on second base. With Japan and Australia deadlocked at 3-3, Mishina started the 12th inning on second base. She advanced to third when Mine Yukiyo reached first base safely on Stacey Porter’s fielding error.

Two batters later, pitcher Tanya Harding gave Karino Ayumi an intentional walk to load the bases with one out. The strategy backfired when Nishiyama stepped up and poked a single out to right centre field that scored Mishina.

Kerry Wyborn had forced the game into extra innings, when she hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 2-2.

Ueno Yukiko, who earlier in the day lost a nine-inning decision to Team USA, pitched the full 12 innings for the victory over Australia. She gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks, striking out seven batters. Ueno pitched the equivalent of three seven-inning regulation games Wednesday.

Losing pitcher Harding came in for Justine Smethurst after five innings. Harding pitched six and one-third innings, giving up two runs, six hits and three walks while striking out two batters.

Australia finished the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with six victories, three losses – and a bronze medal.

Updated: 2008-08-20 17:07:29

(BEIJING, August 20) — A scrappy Australia took advantage of nearly every scoring opportunity it got to defeat Canada 5-3 at Fengtai Softball Field on Wednesday, August 20.

The semifinal victory moved Australia into contention for the gold medal and ended the tournament for Canada.

Sandy Lewis put Australia ahead 1-0 in the second inning when she hit a Lauren Bay Regula pitch into the left field stands with nobody on base. Australia picked up another run in the third inning when Belinda Wright scored from third base on Lewis’ sacrifice fly out.

Canada responded in the third inning by forcing starting pitcher Melanie Roche from the pitching circle with three runs on just two hits. Two walks by Roche and a throwing error by catcher Natalie Titcume proved to be the Australian pitcher’s undoing.

Relief pitcher Tanya Harding forced in one run, charged to Roche, with another walk. Alison Bradley singled home two more runs before the final out of the inning.

Danielle Stewart tied up the game in the fourth inning when she parked a one-run homerun in the same part of the stands as Lewis two innings earlier.

Australia took the lead back for good in the top of the sixth inning. Stewart and Wright scored on Kerry Wyborn’s single to left field.

Harding got the win for Australia. She pitched four and one-third innings, giving up no runs, two hits and one walk. Harding had no strikeouts.

Bay Regula suffered her third loss of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Bay Regula pitched all seven innings, giving up five runs on five hits and five walks. She struck out nine batters.

Australia will face Japan in the final round on Wednesday. The loser receives the bronze medal. The winner advances to challenge the United States for the gold medal in the grand final game at Fengtai Softball Field on Thursday.

Canada finished the tournament with three victories and five defeats.

Updated: 2008-08-20 15:27:33

Lauren Bay Regula (No. 3) of Canada throws a pitch. (Photo credit: Clive Rose/Getty Images)

The Women’s Softball semifinal event between Australia and Canada took place at the Fengtai Softball Field on day twelve of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 20, 2008 in Beijing, China. Australia beat Canada 5-3.

Starting pitcher Melanie Roche of Australia throws a pitch. (Photo credit: Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Erin Mclean (No. 20) of Canada readies herself in a defensive position as Belinda Wright (No. 24) of Australia stands on third base. (Photo credit: Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Sheena Lawrick (No. 4) of Canada celebrates with Jennifer Salling (No. 7) after Lawrick scored. (Photo credit: Clive Rose/Getty Images)