OLYMPIC SOFTBALL

Cat Osterman wins again as U.S. team advances to softball medal round

BEIJING — The U.S. softball team, arguably the greatest squad ever assembled, finished steamrolling through round robin play Monday by defeating host China 9-0.

"They are overpowering," acknowledged Don Porter, president of the sport's governing body, the International Softball Federation, who has more on his plate than overseeing softball at these Olympics.

He is using the Beijing Games as an opportunity to lobby International Olympic Committee members to reinstate softball as an Olympic sport. Softball and baseball have been dropped from all future games, beginning with London in 2012.

In his campaign to get softball reinstated, Porter plans to raise $2 million — equivalent to the softball federation's entire annual budget — for a public-relations campaign. He'll point to the $2.5 million worth of softball equipment that the federation has donated to programs in 91 countries over the past six years while trying to grow the sport.

Yet, one of the problems Porter encounters when he's pitching the sport is competitiveness: Softball's showcase team is frequently far better than the competition.

The United States is not only trying to win its fourth straight gold medal; it seems to be widening the gap between it and other national teams.

After seven games, Team USA still has a perfect 0.00 earned run average. Earlier in the competition, Texas ex Cat Osterman tossed a no-hitter, only the second one in U.S. Olympic history. Then teammate Monica Abbott went out and one-upped her, throwing a perfect game that was shortened to five innings because of the lopsided score.

"No-hitters and one-hitters, we didn't expect that," Osterman said. "Do we expect not to let people score? I think that's the mentality we come in with. We have three pitchers; you go back to their college days, they didn't like to allow runs. ... If a run scores, we're not going to be happy."

In Monday's rout of the Chinese, Osterman pitched three scoreless innings before U.S. coach Mike Candrea sent Jennie Finch in for some relief work.

"He told me that right after the second inning, that I was only going to go three," Osterman said. "I don't mind — whatever we have to do to get all of us work."

Osterman lost any chance at another Olympic no-hitter when the leadoff batter for China, Zhou Yi, smacked a single. Osterman also yielded a walk in the first inning before finding her usual groove.

The U.S. team quickly silenced the large crowd, at least partially, by unleashing a nine-run barrage in the first inning, knocking Chinese starter Lu Wei out of the circle before she could get the side out.

The big hit for the U.S. squad was a three-run home run by right fielder Kelly Kretschman. It was the 13th homer of the Olympic competition for the U.S. team, upping the Olympic record they already owned.

Of the big cushion, Osterman said, "You can relax. It's just more fun to see our offense produce that way. It's not every day you get to see so many home runs and people running the bases."

The United States now advances to medal play as the No. 1 seed, with Japan No. 2. The teams will meet in a semifinal Wednesday with the winner advancing to Thursday's final.

That gold medal contest could be the last Olympic softball game ever played.

"It's exciting, and it's sad," Osterman said. "It's the last time this team will be together for a while. ... This is what we live for. These last two games are the ones that mean the most."

John Maher writes for The Austin American-Statesman.