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Proud to be an American Gold medal even more special to Fernandez
BLACKTOWN, Australia (AP) -- She shrugged off the rain that had left her shiny black hair a wet, tangled mess and soaked her blue uniform to the skin. She ignored the damp chill in the air and the brown puddles that had formed in the infield. The "Star Spangled Banner" was playing, and all U.S. softball player Lisa Fernandez cared about was singing along. It was a special moment for Fernandez, and not just because of the gold medal around her neck. Fernandez's father came to the United States from Cuba, where he had been in prison, just before the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961, a refugee seeking a new start. When Fernandez sang about the 'land of the free," she knew just what those words meant to him. "He comes over here and provides or his family and here I was able to represent the country that gave him and my family the opportunity to be free," said Fernandez, who pitched the United States to a 2-1 victory over Japan in the gold medal game Tuesday. "There is no dictatorship," she said, her voice breaking. "To be able to hear the national anthem and know I fought for this country the best way I know how, which is on the softball field. It's a real emotional time." And fight she did. Through eight tough innings in the most pressure-packed situation possible. Through a tournament in which her team's resolve was tested after losing three straight games in the preliminary round. Through the five straight victories that followed and brought her team its second consecutive Olympic gold medal. Fernandez had pitched a full seven innings in a 1-0 victory over Australia the previous night. Less than 24 hours later, she was back at it. She didn't have her best stuff and surrendered an early home run. "It was a fight for me in this game from the first inning," she said. "I felt this team was going to fight as hard as we could to win this game. We would not be denied. "I can't tell you the support I got from my team, especially during this game. They just said keep fighting, keep fighting. We're going to get you a run. Stay with us." Fernandez walked the third batter she faced and gave up a leadoff single in the second inning, eventually stranding the runner at third. After Japan went down in order in the third, the first batter in the fourth, Reika Utsugi, timed a changeup perfectly and lined the ball to straightaway center. Center fielder Laura Berg backpedaled and leaped, but the ball sailed over her glove and cleared the fence. Japan led 1-0 and the Americans didn't even have a hit. "I'm out there for a reason," Berg said. "I've got to find a way to catch that ball. I felt I owed Lisa one." Berg would come through in the eighth, hitting the ball that produced the winning run. In the meantime, Fernandez had to bear down and get batters out. Japan managed just one hit after the home run and Fernandez retired the final eight batters. "I just kept telling myself I had to keep it low," she said. "They were going to have to get thee hits in row to beat me. They weren't going to do it with one." Fernandez's gritty effort justified coach Ralph Raymond's decision to start her on consecutive nights when other pitchers would have been fresher. Raymond said he never considered using anyone else. "This kid here is a gamer," Raymond said. "If I had to come back tomorrow night, she would come again. That's the kind of talent she has. When you have that kind of talent, you have to take advantage of it. Otherwise, you just go by the boards." Fernandez made sure that didn't happen.
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