USA softball Team loses for first time since 2002 in international play

[Julius]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The United States was beaten in an international softball game for the first time since 2002, losing 2-1 to Canada in the inaugural World Cup of Softball on Thursday night.

The U.S., which has won the gold medal in three straight Olympics, last lost an international game on July 4, 2002, 6-1 to Japan at the U.S. Cup.

According to tournament officials, it was only the third time that a Canadian team had beaten a U.S. team. The Canadians beat the Americans at the 1983 Pan Am Games and in qualifying for the 1997 Pan Am Games.

Some of the United States' biggest stars weren't in the lineup. U.S. coach Mike Candrea started Alicia Hollowell, a newcomer to the team, instead of aces Jennie Finch or Cat Osterman, against a Canadian team that finished behind the U.S. and other World Cup participants Australia, Japan and China in Athens.
Osterman was scheduled to start Friday against 2004 silver medalist Australia, and Finch was to pitch Saturday against 2004 bronze medalist Japan. Finch pitched two innings of scoreless relief against Canada.

"We've got a target on our back, and they know that," Candrea said. "I asked them how many people really had the butterflies before this game - you know, the big-game feeling - and probably not many."

In Thursday's other game, China beat Japan 5-4.
Sheena Lawrick drove in both of Canada's runs with singles in the first and third innings, and 18-year-old Danielle Lawrie yielded only five hits to a U.S. team that outscored opponents 51-1 on its way to the gold medal in Athens. Lawrick played at Nebraska, and Lawrie (1-0) will play at Washington next season.

The U.S. loss came less than a week after the International Olympic Committee voted to eliminate softball from the 2012 London Games because it lacked global appeal. The IOC also eliminated baseball.

Canadian coach Lori Sippel said she hoped the IOC voters saw a tape of the game.

"There are 100-something countries that have the sport, but the Olympics is about the elite playing, and tonight we got a taste of what that is," Sippel said. "I don't see why all 120 countries have to play it when you're playing it at the highest level. If maybe eight to 12 are playing it at the most high level, then why shouldn't they have a shot?

"I think they were hasty in their decision, and I didn't get a vote."

The U.S. women, who won all three gold medals since softball joined the Olympics, at the 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games, can still come back to win the round-robin tournament, which runs through Monday.

Candrea said members of the team traveled to the tournament from different places and had not practiced together. But, he wasn't making excuses.

"It's a good lesson for us," Candrea said. "No matter who you are and what uniform you have on, you have to be prepared to play. If you don't, good things will happen for other teams."

Both of Canada's runs off Hollowell (0-1) followed errors and were unearned.

China 5, Japan 4

Sun Li's two-out RBI single capped a four-run bottom of the seventh for China. Li Chunxia tripled to lead off the inning and scored on Zhou Yi's single. One out later, Xin Minhong tied the game with a home run to center field.

Japan, which won the bronze medal at Athens, took a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning on Satoko Mabuchi's two-run homer then added a run in the fifth on Emi Naitoh's RBI single.

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Your thoughts on this game and the IOC dropping softball in 2012?

[Julius]

I would like someone to please record on a Hi-Fi stereo VCR on EP or SP speed on a new tape not used the (Make sure that you can find a way to get stereo on the video channel on your TV if you have jacks in the back or whatever) ESPNU's LIVE broadcast of the USA-Japan and China World Cup of softball games Saturday at 12 PM EDT and 9 PM EDT. The games will be aired again on ESPN 2 and ESPN but they may have to skip some innings so they can air as much of the game in the 2 hour time frame and I really want to see the whole game and not condensed. Comcast cable where I Live does not have ESPNU yet. If you can do that, please let me know. Thank you. As to the IOC dropping softball, I think it is wrong for them to do that. I really like softball and I want it to still be a olympic sport and for the game, the pitcher for Canada was awesone!!!.

[Mikado]

Yay Canada!!!!! As for the IOC...those jerks always have been Euro-centric ;any sport that Euros are weak in doesnt stand a chance in the so-called Olympic movement....look at the way they changed the rules of hockey ( ice surfaces, fighting , offsides, declaring Canadian pros inelligible while allowing pros from Russia to dominate since the late 50s ) all so they could make the game harder on Canadians , virtually shutting us out for 50 years. The OIC is a tight little group, dedicated to shutting out small countries and doing all they can to kiss European butts!!