One-hit wonders

U.S. fires fifth straight one-hitter in rolling past Greece 7-0

Jessica Mendoza is tagged out after bowling over Stacey Farnworth in the fourth inning. AP

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Lisa Fernandez won an Olympic softball game that looked more like a match between California buddies.

Fernandez, one of 12 Californians on the U.S. team, pitched a one-hitter as the two-time defending gold medalists made it six shutouts in six games with a shortened 7-0 victory Thursday over a Greek team with a distinct American flavor.

With 11 Californians on its team, Greece (2-4) did all it could to hang with the United States (6-0). But as they've done against their first five opponents, the Americans wore the Greeks down, winning for the fourth time in the tournament in five innings because they were too far ahead.

The "run-ahead rule," as it's called by the International Softball Federation, says a game is complete when a team is ahead by 20 runs after three innings, 15 after four, or seven after five. In softball circles, it's called the "mercy rule," and to this point, the U.S. team hasn't shown any mercy.

"This team is rocket hot and sky high," Fernandez said.

Fernandez hit an RBI single in the third inning for the only run she would need. Leah O'Brien-Amico and Jessica Mendoza added two RBIs apiece as the Americans again demonstrated their superiority in every aspect of the game.

The 33-year-old Fernandez, a three-time Olympian, only allowed two runners to reach base. She didn't give up her first hit until the fifth when Greece infielder Ginny Georgantas, from Lockport, Illinois, lined a single to left.

Georgantas pumped her fist as she ran to first and her teammates -- 13 of the 15 American-born -- celebrated in the dugout as if they had just pulled off a huge upset.

"Highlight of my life," she said, beaming.

Georgantas and many of her teammates grew up idolizing Fernandez, considered the finest player in the world and the undisputed leader of the U.S. team.

"Lisa is USA softball," first-time Olympian Jennie Finch said a day earlier. "She's our inspiration."

Another one of the teams in the tournament better find some inspiration -- quick. Only a Friday matchup against Taiwan remains in the way of the United States completing the preliminary round unbeaten.

How dominant are the Americans? They've now won 76 straight games, pitched five straight one-hitters, outscored the field 38-0 and allowed just two runners to get to third base.

It's a far cry from four years ago in Sydney when the U.S. team had its 112-game winning streak stopped by Japan, lost three straight preliminary-round games and made the medal round as the No. 4 team.

"Ten times different," said Crystl Bustos, one of six players remaining from the Sydney team. "We're clicking right now, and we haven't even played our best game yet."

For two innings, Greece held its own, keeping the game scoreless, a victory of sorts after the U.S. team's demolition of Italy, Australia and Canada.

With all the Californians on the field, it gave old friends a chance to catch up old times. In some cases, moms and dads of the U.S. team's players and those of the American-flavored Greeks sat side-by-side, waving their respective country's flags while watching their daughters play ball.

But while it may have been friendly in the stands, the mood was much different between the foul lines for the U.S. team even though it was playing against a team made up mostly of Americans.

"When you step out onto that field, it's the United States against Greece," O'Brien-Amico said. "It was Olympic competition."

It was still 1-0 until the fourth when the United States scored three runs, two on O'Brien-Amico's two-run single. Greece did stop the Americans from adding another run in the fourth when catcher Stacey Farnworth held onto the ball following a collision at the plate by Mendoza, who barreled into her.

"My dad's a football coach," Mendoza explained with a shrug. "The genes kicked in right there."