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Two in a row U.S. loses longest game in history to China 2-0Posted: Wednesday September 20, 2000 12:00 AMUpdated: Thursday November 09, 2000 9:45 AM
BLACKTOWN, Australia (CNNSI.com) -- China won the longest game in Olympic history Wednesday as the U.S. started a losing streak. Michele Smith set an Olympic record with 21 strikeouts, but she took the loss for the second consecutive game. China scored in the seventh extra inning to win 2-0. Smith and China's Zhang Yanqing, whose 16 strikeouts would also have broken the record, each pitched all 14 innings. "Every time I walked off the field, I believed that would be the last inning," said Smith, who pitched 5 2-3 innings of relief a day before. "I came back out again and I said, `OK, they're not going to score this time, either.'' The game was so long that the outfield sprinklers, connected to an automatic timer set to go on at midnight, sprayed the U.S. players as they took their positions in the 14th. But it was poor fielding that doused the Americans again. With a runner on second to start the inning, they let a bunt roll, hoping it would go foul; it didn't. With runners on first and third, Zhang Chunfang lined a single off Smith's leg to score the runner from third. The ball bounced to second baseman Jennifer McFalls, who threw wide of first, and before the ball could be retrieved the runner from first came all the way around to score. Zhang Yanqing set down the Americans in order in the bottom half, retiring Lisa Fernandez to end the game and extend her Olympic slump to 0-for-18. "Somehow, our offense will come together," Fernandez said. "And when it does, it will be unbelievable." Smith threw 179 pitches to go with the 76 she threw the previous day in the U.S. loss to Japan, when she allowed just two unearned runs. It was the defending gold medalists' first loss after 112 consecutive victories. The Americans had not lost two in a row in sanctioned games since dropping the last two games of the 1982 world championships, then the opener of the '83 Pan Am games. They have lost only seven games in International Softball Federation-approved play since then. "To see your team go into what we're in now is hard to believe. This is too good of a team, too good of a ballclub," coach Ralph Raymond said. "The way they've been going the last two nights, it's hard to believe it was the same ballclub." Both teams had lost once, to Japan, entering the game. Japan beat Australia 1-0 earlier in the day to remain the only unbeaten team in the preliminary round of the tournament, raising the stakes in the game between the United States and Australia on Thursday (Wednesday night EDT). Because of the way the medal round is set up, there is no advantage to finishing first instead of second. But the teams that finish third and fourth would have to play an extra game to win the gold medal. The Americans should still make the medal round easily, but a loss to Australia would cost them a potential bye. "It's not over. The most important part of the tournament has yet to be played,' said Fernandez, the starting pitcher against Australia. "We've got to get into the top four, and then no one's going to remember what anybody's record was. All they're going to remember is who wins the gold, the silver and the bronze." Smith gave up a single and a walk to lead off the game, then retired the next 26 batters. She sailed into the ninth, getting a scare when Yan Fang hit a long fly ball foul down the right field line. Yan walked - China's first baserunner since the first - before Smith recorded her 13th strikeout to end the inning. Jennifer Brundage singled with two out in the ninth, then took second on a wild pitch. But Stacey Nuveman struck out to end the inning. Softball rules put a runner on second to start every inning after the ninth. The Americans had runners on first and third in the 11th when Christie Ambrosi tried to score on a wild pitch but was thrown out at the plate.
Japan 1, Australia 0Japan scored in the first extra inning to beat Australia 1-0 Wednesday and complete a sweep of its top three opponents in Olympic softball. Japan (3-0), the third-ranked team in the world, is the only undefeated team left in the round-robin. It has now beaten No. 4 China, No. 2 Australia and the top-ranked United States, snapping the defending champions' 112-game winning streak. Australia (2-1) plays the United States on Thursday (Wednesday night EDT) in a game that has now grown in importance. The top four in the eight-team tournament advance to the medal round; finishing first is no advantage over second, but the third- and fourth-place teams would have to win an extra game to win the gold medal. Japan's last three games in the round-robin are all against teams not expected to contend. Mariko Masubichi and Juri Takayama combined on a three-hitter. Kelly Hardie shut Japan down on three hits over the first six innings. But Melanie Roche walked Hiroko Tamoto to lead off the eighth and, one out later, Misako Ando doubled. A walk loaded the bases and, after a strikeout, Miyo Yamada singled home the game-winner.
New Zealand 6, Cuba 2Pitching for the third time in as many days, Gina Weber's two hitless innings of relief paced New Zealand to a 6-2 victory over Cuba in Olympic softball. Weber entered the game with the score tied 2-2 after five. In the top of the seventh, New Zealand (2-2) scored four runs to break the tie and preserve its distant medal hopes. The Kiwis would probably have to beat either Japan or the United States, in addition to Italy, to make the medal round. With three opponents left to play in the round-robin, including contenders Australia and China, Cuba (0-4) is essentially eliminated from medal contention.
Canada 7, Italy 1Sandy Newsham struck out 13 as Canada took advantage of Italy's sloppy play on Wednesday to win 7-1 and earn its first victory of the Olympic softball tournament. Canada (1-3) next faces Japan, the tournament's only remaining unbeaten team. Italy (1-3) plays New Zealand. The game was scoreless with two outs in the fifth when Canada scored on two hits, two errors and a passed ball. The Canadians added another run in the sixth on a passed ball and three in the seventh on two more Italian errors.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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