The US scored nine first-inning runs to beat China 9-0 to move within two wins of another gold medal in Olympic softball.
Stretching their winning streak to 21, the US (7-0) tied an Olympic record — one of the few they did not already own — with the nine-run outburst in the first, which included Kelly Kretschman’s three-run homer, three doubles, three singles and two pitchers.
All the runs came after two were out. Kretschman even had two strikes on her before the outfielder, who has the New York Yankees’ interlocking “NY” logo tattooed on her ankle, smashed a pitch over the fence in right for the US team’s 13th homer.
PHOTO: AP
Next up in tomorrow’s medal round for the Americans is Japan (5-1), a team they beat 7-0 earlier in the Beijing tournament.
The US have now recorded six shutouts, with five of them ending in the fifth by the international run-rule. With two games still to play, the Americans have outscored the field 53-1 (the run against Canada was unearned), bettering their 51-1 mark in Athens.
Cat Osterman pitched three shutout innings and Jennie Finch took care of the final two.
Earlier, the Netherlands ended their first Olympic tournament by getting their first win, 4-2 over Taiwan. The Dutch (1-6) are leaving China enriched by the experience and eager to spread softball’s word in Europe, where it is still growing and where it needs to expand to help the sport get back in the Games.
“This can only help,” shortstop Sandra Gouverneru said. “I’m not sure I can wait another eight years to play in another Olympics, though. It took me 12 years to get here.”
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
HAT-TRICK PREP: World No. 1 Sabalenka clinched her first win of the season, as she aims to become the first woman in 20 years to win three Australian Opens in succession Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz yesterday all clocked impressive wins as tennis powerhouses Italy and the US surged into the quarter-finals of the mixed-team United Cup. World No. 3 Gauff swept past Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-2 to avenge a loss at the Paris Olympics, while Fritz took care of Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 in searing Perth heat. That was enough to put the Americans — last year’s winners — into a last-eight clash with China today, while Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan today are to meet defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, in the other Perth quarter-final. In Sydney, the in-form
Taiwanese e-sports team Ban Mei Gaming (BMG) claimed second place at this year’s Arena of Valor International Championship (AIC 2024) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after losing to the Thai team Bacon Time (BAC) in the finals on Sunday In the final match, BMG faced BAC, who finished top in the winners’ bracket, but lost 0-4. However, BMG still walked away with US$100,000 in prize money for finishing runners-up. The AIC 2024 began with 16 teams competing in the Swiss Stage, where teams played up to five rounds. Those securing three wins advanced to the Knockout Stage, while teams
Japan’s national high-school soccer tournament is thriving after more than 100 years, attracting huge crowds, millions watching on TV and breeding future stars, despite professional clubs trying to attract young talent. The annual tournament kicked off on Saturday and is still regarded as the pinnacle of amateur soccer with young players dreaming of playing in the final in front of tens of thousands at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Matches are a massive occasion for the whole school as student cheering squads wave flags, bang drums and roar on their teams in a spectacle of noise and color. “All the
RSS