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.”
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