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Best for last Fernandez set to pitch against Australia
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- The rematch is on. Lisa Fernandez will make her first start of the Olympics against Australia, giving the U.S. softball ace another shot at the team that accounted for her only disappointment of the Atlanta Games. Coach Ralph Raymond will use a five-pitcher rotation for the games. Although the entire pitching order has not been announced, left-hander Lori Harrigan will start against Canada in the tournament opener Sunday (Saturday night ET), and Fernandez will be saved for the most anticipated game of the preliminary round. "Bring it on, that's what I say," Harrigan said. "I'm excited that I get to pitch the first game. If anything, it's going to get the adrenaline going even more." Michelle Smith, Christa Williams and Danielle Henderson also will pitch in the preliminaries before Fernandez meets the Aussies in the Americans' fifth game, next Thursday (Wednesday night ET). Unlike starting pitchers in baseball, where every five days is the norm, softball pitchers can throw several days in a row if needed. But the U.S. squad has an unusually large rotation, which is made possible by the fact that Fernandez and Smith also hit when they're not not pitching. "Right now, he's got it set up so everybody's got at least one start," Fernandez said Thursday (Wednesday night ET) after the team taped an appearance on NBC's "Today Show." Fernandez threw five consecutive perfect games -- and six no-hitters in a row -- on the team's Olympic prep tour. Although no one's ever thrown a perfect game in the Olympics, Fernandez came just about as close as possible in the sport's debut in 1996. She took a perfect game into the 10th inning against Australia in the preliminary round and was one strike away from finishing them off when Joanne Brown hit a two-run homer to win it. Fernandez sobbed after the game, but she got some measure of consolation when she earned the save in the gold medal game against China. Australia won the bronze. Now, Fernandez gets a chance to make amends for the loss that's been on her mind for four years. And she gets to do it in front of the Aussie's home crowd. The game at the Blacktown Olympic Centre is expected to draw a full house of 8,000 fans -- many of whom will remember Fernandez from Atlanta. "I thought they'd be anti-American, but everybody's been very nice," she said. She said she asked someone for directions and he patted her on the shoulder and said, "Good luck, mate." "Everybody makes a good-hearted effort in cheering for their own team without being hostile to the opponent," Fernandez said. The U.S. team had its first look at the new ballpark Wednesday. On Thursday, the players taped an appearance with Matt Lauer. Fernandez called -- jokingly -- for makeup. But when the cameras rolled, the players seemed as excited to be there as the staff was to have them, posing for pictures with Lauer and then posing with the crew so they could have some souvenirs, too. Fernandez and Lauer joked about the last time she appeared on the show, when they went out to the street so she could give him a sample of her work. He struck out. "You know what?" she told him. "My control's improved since then."
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