Softball at the Summer Olympics

Softball at the 2004 Summer Olympics was held at the Olympic Softball Stadium in the Helliniko Olympic Complex from August 14 to 23.

It was one of the three sports at the Athens Olympics that was for women only along with Synchronized Swimming and Rhythmic Gymnastics.

Eight teams competed for the gold medal in only the third appearance of the sport at the Summer Olympics.

Medal Winners

United States Leah Amico Laura Berg Crystil Bustos Lisa Fernandez Jennie Finch Tairia Flowers Amanda Freed Lori Hannigan Lovieanne Jung Kelly Kretschman Jessica Mendoza Stacey Nuveman Catherine Osterman Jenny Topping Natasha Watley	Australia Sandra Allen Marissa Carpadios Fiona Crawford Amanda Doman Peta Edebone Tanya Harding Natalie Hodgskin Simmone Morrow Tracey Mosley Stacey Porter Melanie Roche Natalie Titcume Natalie Ward Brooke Wilkins Kerry Wyborn	Japan Emi Inui Kazue Ito Yumi Iwabuchi Masumi Mishina Emi Naito Haruka Saito Hiroko Sakai Naoko Sakamoto Rie Sato Yuki Sato Juri Takayama Yukiko Ueno Reika Utsugi Eri Yamada Noriko Yamaji

In one of the most dominating runs in Softball History, the team of the United States led by head coach Mike Candrea won the olympic gold medal by defeating Australia 5-1 in the championship game on August 23. It was the first time in 9 games that an opponent scored a run against Team USA. Throughout the tournament the team outscored its opponents 51-1. Crystl Bustos hit two homeruns to provide all the run-support pitcher Lisa Fernandez required. Fernandez pitched all six innings, picking up her second win in two days against Australia. She also won the semi-final game.

Team USA has won the previous two tournaments and completed the Hat-trick.

Australia's silver medal marks the teams best result in olympic softball history. Japan earned the bronze medal after beating China in the semi-final.

Participants

Teams that have qualified for the tournament:

• Australia
• Canada
• China
• Greece
• Chinese Taipei
• Italy
• Japan
• United States

Schedule

Starting August 14, there will be four preliminary games each day until August 20 for a total of 28 games. Two semi-final games will be played August 22, with the game for third place following later that day. The final game for the gold medal will be played on August 23 at 4pm local time.

Standings

	Pld	W	L	RF	RA	Pct
United States	7	7	0	41	0	1.000
Australia	7	6	1	22	14	0.857
Japan	7	4	3	17	8	0.571
China	7	3	4	15	20	0.429
Canada	7	3	4	6	14	0.429
Chinese Taipei	7	2	5	3	13	0.286
Greece	7	2	5	6	24	0.286
Italy	7	1	6	8	24	0.143

Preliminary round

** Perfect game (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer04/softball/news/story?id=1863914)

Semi finals

The semi-final game between the #3 and #4 ranked teams (Japan and China) is an elimination game, with the loser out. The winner faces the loser of the other semifinal in the bronze medal game later Sunday night. The loser of the bronze medal game received the bronze medal. The winner of that game faces the winner of the Australia vs. United States semifinal in the gold medal game, with the winner of that game receiving gold and the loser receiving silver.

Bronze Medal game

Gold Medal Game

External link

• Complete schedule (http://www.athens2004.com/en/resultsSoftball/results?rsc=SO0000000)

</center>

de:Olympische Sommerspiele 2004/Softball fr:Softball aux jeux Olympiques de 2004 pl:Medaliści Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 2004 w softballu zh:2004年夏季奥林匹克运动会垒球比赛

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia article. Browse Wikipedia for more information.