Cat Osterman seemed forward, not behind, within the begin of america’ quest to regain the Olympic softball gold medal, 13 years after she misplaced the championship recreation.A 38-year-old left-hander and certainly one of two remaining gamers from 2008, Osterman pitched one hit ball over six innings and struck out 9 to beat Italy 2-0 on Wednesday within the searing warmth and wilting humidity because the Olympics acquired underway.“At the moment was about as we speak,” she stated. “If I exploit ’08 as motivation, then I’m egocentric. This isn’t about me. This isn’t a few silver medal that occurred. That is about this staff and permitting these athletes which can be youthful than me to have the ability to dwell out an Olympic dream and hopefully get to that high step on the rostrum. So as we speak was completely about how are we going to beat Italy and the way am I going to assist this staff get began.”Michelle Moultrie singled in a run within the fourth inning for the top-ranked U.S., which misplaced the title to Japan 3-1 on the 2008 Beijing Video games. Janie Reed, the spouse of Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jake Reed, added a sacrifice fly within the fifth. “There’s lots that goes on with simply making an attempt to get right into a groove of: I’ve all the time completed this. It’s the identical recreation I’ve all the time performed,” stated Moultrie, a 31-year-old outfielder who joined the nationwide staff in 2011.Osterman walked none, hit two batters and gave up her solely hit to Andrea Filler, a single main off the fourth. The final remaining participant from the 2004 gold medalists and pitching 2 1/2 months earlier than her supposed retirement, Osterman improved to 6-1 in Olympic play with 66 strikeouts in 38 innings.“The physique does not get well as quick,” she stated. “Coachie likes to remind me typically I am not as versatile, so I’ve to regulate my pitches a little bit bit. However I believe the largest factor is my mentality and my competitiveness has stayed the identical.”Monica Abbott, a 35-year-old lefty who relieved within the 2008 gold medal recreation, struck out the aspect within the seventh for the save. She might begin Thursday morning’s recreation towards Canada, a part of a complete Olympics performed with no followers.“It is sort of unhappy that there cannot be any spectators, particularly no international spectators,” Abbott stated. “That is an occasion that does not occur on a regular basis, so it is disappointing to not have individuals within the stands — but in addition not having Japanese followers when Japan is such a softball-loving nation.”Gamers sweated off kilos on the unreal turf.“We educated in Midland, Texas, have been the turf was 150 levels,” U.S. coach Ken Eriksen stated. “So we’re ready for Fukushima at 145 levels.”Loser Greta Cecchetti, a pitcher for Texas A&M Corpus Christi, allowed two runs and 4 hits in four-plus innings.Valerie Arioto led off the fourth with an infield hit up the center, beating the throw from second baseman Andrea Filler. Ali Aguilar sacrificed, and Moultrie grounded a single on the unreal turf previous Filler and into proper subject, sending Arioto sliding throughout the plate.Alexia Lacatena, an 18-year-old from Stanhope, New Jersey, who will pitch for the College of Kentucky subsequent spring, relieved and allowed a sacrifice fly to Reed, whose husband made his large league debut on July 6 and had six appearances earlier than he was optioned Tuesday to Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis.Italy’s final 9 batters have been retired so as.“’08 we did not have a foul match,” Osterman stated. “We simply had a recreation that did not go our manner.”JAPAN 8, AUSTRALIA 1Yukiko Ueno settled down from a shaky begin to permit two hits over 4 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts, and host Japan beat Australia within the first occasion of the Olympics.Ueno, 39, defeated the U.S. within the 2008 gold medal recreation.Minori Naito and Saki Yamazaki hit two-run homers off loser Kaia Parnaby, and Yu Yamamoto, who had three RBIs, added a two-run drive towards Tarni Stepto within the fifth that ended the sport below a rout rule.CANADA 4, MEXICO 0Sara Groenewegen was eliminated after 4 hitless innings of a mixed two-hitter, and Jenn Salling drove in two runs.“We’ve a pitching plan on how we wish to execute innings,” Canada coach Mark Smith stated. “Over the subsequent six or seven days, given the warmth and the humidity, we all know that stamina, sustaining energy goes to be an vital factor.”Groenewegen, the 2015 Huge Ten Participant of the 12 months and two-time Huge Ten Pitcher of the 12 months at Minnesota, struck out three and walked one for the win. She was pulled after 54 pitches.“A no-hitter is a no-hitter. It doesn’t suggest something to us,” she stated. “We would like a gold medal. So if that places us in a greater place to win, then I am OK with it.”Jenna Caira, who performed for Syracuse, allowed Suzannah Brookshire’s infield single to the shortstop gap with one out within the fifth. Danielle Lawrie, the 34-year-old sister of former main league infielder Brett Lawrie, completed the two-hitter, giving up Tatyana Forbes’ single on a chopper to the appropriate aspect main off the sixth.Kaleigh Rafter and Salling had RBI singles within the first off loser Dallas Escobedo, and Salling’s house run made it 3-0 within the third. Kelsey Harshman, who performed for Wisconsin, added a run-scoring single on a 0-2 pitch within the fourth.Escobedo gave up 4 runs, seven hits and 5 walks in 4 innings for Mexico, which made its Olympic softball debut.
Cat Osterman seemed forward, not behind, within the begin of america’ quest to regain the Olympic softball gold medal, 13 years after she misplaced the championship recreation.
A 38-year-old left-hander and certainly one of two remaining gamers from 2008, Osterman pitched one hit ball over six innings and struck out 9 to beat Italy 2-0 on Wednesday within the searing warmth and wilting humidity because the Olympics acquired underway.
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“At the moment was about as we speak,” she stated. “If I exploit ’08 as motivation, then I’m egocentric. This isn’t about me. This isn’t a few silver medal that occurred. That is about this staff and permitting these athletes which can be youthful than me to have the ability to dwell out an Olympic dream and hopefully get to that high step on the rostrum. So as we speak was completely about how are we going to beat Italy and the way am I going to assist this staff get began.”
Michelle Moultrie singled in a run within the fourth inning for the top-ranked U.S., which misplaced the title to Japan 3-1 on the 2008 Beijing Video games. Janie Reed, the spouse of Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Jake Reed, added a sacrifice fly within the fifth.
“There’s lots that goes on with simply making an attempt to get right into a groove of: I’ve all the time completed this. It’s the identical recreation I’ve all the time performed,” stated Moultrie, a 31-year-old outfielder who joined the nationwide staff in 2011.
Osterman walked none, hit two batters and gave up her solely hit to Andrea Filler, a single main off the fourth. The final remaining participant from the 2004 gold medalists and pitching 2 1/2 months earlier than her supposed retirement, Osterman improved to 6-1 in Olympic play with 66 strikeouts in 38 innings.
“The physique does not get well as quick,” she stated. “Coachie likes to remind me typically I am not as versatile, so I’ve to regulate my pitches a little bit bit. However I believe the largest factor is my mentality and my competitiveness has stayed the identical.”
Monica Abbott, a 35-year-old lefty who relieved within the 2008 gold medal recreation, struck out the aspect within the seventh for the save. She might begin Thursday morning’s recreation towards Canada, a part of a complete Olympics performed with no followers.
“It is sort of unhappy that there cannot be any spectators, particularly no international spectators,” Abbott stated. “That is an occasion that does not occur on a regular basis, so it is disappointing to not have individuals within the stands — but in addition not having Japanese followers when Japan is such a softball-loving nation.”
Gamers sweated off kilos on the unreal turf.
“We educated in Midland, Texas, have been the turf was 150 levels,” U.S. coach Ken Eriksen stated. “So we’re ready for Fukushima at 145 levels.”
Loser Greta Cecchetti, a pitcher for Texas A&M Corpus Christi, allowed two runs and 4 hits in four-plus innings.
Valerie Arioto led off the fourth with an infield hit up the center, beating the throw from second baseman Andrea Filler. Ali Aguilar sacrificed, and Moultrie grounded a single on the unreal turf previous Filler and into proper subject, sending Arioto sliding throughout the plate.
Alexia Lacatena, an 18-year-old from Stanhope, New Jersey, who will pitch for the College of Kentucky subsequent spring, relieved and allowed a sacrifice fly to Reed, whose husband made his large league debut on July 6 and had six appearances earlier than he was optioned Tuesday to Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis.
Italy’s final 9 batters have been retired so as.
“’08 we did not have a foul match,” Osterman stated. “We simply had a recreation that did not go our manner.”
JAPAN 8, AUSTRALIA 1
Yukiko Ueno settled down from a shaky begin to permit two hits over 4 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts, and host Japan beat Australia within the first occasion of the Olympics.
Ueno, 39, defeated the U.S. within the 2008 gold medal recreation.
Minori Naito and Saki Yamazaki hit two-run homers off loser Kaia Parnaby, and Yu Yamamoto, who had three RBIs, added a two-run drive towards Tarni Stepto within the fifth that ended the sport below a rout rule.
CANADA 4, MEXICO 0
Sara Groenewegen was eliminated after 4 hitless innings of a mixed two-hitter, and Jenn Salling drove in two runs.
“We’ve a pitching plan on how we wish to execute innings,” Canada coach Mark Smith stated. “Over the subsequent six or seven days, given the warmth and the humidity, we all know that stamina, sustaining energy goes to be an vital factor.”
Groenewegen, the 2015 Huge Ten Participant of the 12 months and two-time Huge Ten Pitcher of the 12 months at Minnesota, struck out three and walked one for the win. She was pulled after 54 pitches.
“A no-hitter is a no-hitter. It doesn’t suggest something to us,” she stated. “We would like a gold medal. So if that places us in a greater place to win, then I am OK with it.”
Jenna Caira, who performed for Syracuse, allowed Suzannah Brookshire’s infield single to the shortstop gap with one out within the fifth. Danielle Lawrie, the 34-year-old sister of former main league infielder Brett Lawrie, completed the two-hitter, giving up Tatyana Forbes’ single on a chopper to the appropriate aspect main off the sixth.
Kaleigh Rafter and Salling had RBI singles within the first off loser Dallas Escobedo, and Salling’s house run made it 3-0 within the third. Kelsey Harshman, who performed for Wisconsin, added a run-scoring single on a 0-2 pitch within the fourth.
Escobedo gave up 4 runs, seven hits and 5 walks in 4 innings for Mexico, which made its Olympic softball debut.
