Softball was a women's sporting event at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Games were played at the softball stadium in the Helliniko Olympic Complex from August 14 to 23. The United States won the gold while Australia took silver and Japan received bronze.
Softball at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad | |||
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Venue | Olympic Softball Stadium | ||
Dates | 14 – 23 August 2004 | ||
Competitors | 120 from 8 nations | ||
Medalists | |||
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Softball was one of the three sports at the 2004 Athens Olympics that was for women only along with Synchronized Swimming and Rhythmic Gymnastics. Eight teams competed for the gold medal in only the third appearance of softball at the Summer Olympics. The softball competition featured 120 athletes.
Japanese pitcher Yukiko Ueno threw a perfect game—the first at an Olympics’ softball competition—in a preliminary round match against China.[1] The United States dominated the overall competition, winning all seven of its preliminary matches and defeating Australia twice in the medal round.
Medalists
editIn one of the most dominating runs in softball history, the United States team led by head coach Mike Candrea won the gold medal by defeating Australia 5-1 in the championship game on August 23. It was the first time in 9 games that an opponent scored a run against Team USA. Crystl Bustos hit two home runs to provide all the run-support that pitcher Lisa Fernandez required. Fernandez pitched all six innings, picking up her second win against Australia in as many days. She also won the semi-final game.
Throughout the tournament Team USA outscored its opponents 51-1. Team USA won the Olympic gold medal in softball for the third straight time.
Australia's silver medal marks its best result in Olympic softball history. Japan earned the bronze medal after defeating China in the semi-final, and losing to Australia in the Bronze medal game.
Participants
edit- Australia (AUS)
- Canada (CAN)
- China (CHN)
- Greece (GRE)
- Chinese Taipei (TPE)
- Italy (ITA)
- Japan (JPN)
- United States (USA)
Results
editStarting August 14, there were four preliminary games each day until August 20 for a total of 28 games. Two semi-final games were played August 22, with the game for third place following later that day. The final game for the gold medal was played on August 23 at 4pm local time.
Standings
editTeam | Pld | W | L | RF | RA | Pct |
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United States | 7 | 7 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 1.000 |
Australia | 7 | 6 | 1 | 22 | 14 | 0.857 |
Japan | 7 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 0.571 |
China | 7 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 20 | 0.429 |
Canada | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 0.429 |
Chinese Taipei | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 0.286 |
Greece | 7 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 0.286 |
Italy | 7 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 0.143 |
Preliminary round
editAugust 14
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August 15
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August 16
edit09:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | ||
Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||
W: Zhang Lixia (1-0) L: Lauren Bay (1-1) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
12:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
W: Catherine Osterman (1-0) L: Juri Takayama (0-1) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
17:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | ||
Greece | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 2 | 5 | 3 | ||
W: Sarah Farnworth (2-1) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-1) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
19:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taiwan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
W: Wu Chia-Yen (0-2) L: Tanya Harding (2-0) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
August 17
edit09:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
United States | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 4 | 5 | 1 | ||
W: Lori Harrigan (1-0) L: Zhang Lixia (1-1) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
USA 1 : C.Bustos in 5th, 1 RBI |
12:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
W: Lauren Bay (2-1) L: Yukiko Ueno (0-2) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
17:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taiwan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ||
Greece | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 0 | 5 | 1 | ||
W: Lai Sheng-Jung (1-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-2) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
19:30
August 18
edit09:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | ||
Taiwan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
W: Lin Su-Hua (1-1) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-2) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
12:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | |
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
W: Melanie Roche (2-0) L: Lu Wei (1-1) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
17:00
19:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 1 | ||
Greece | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||
W: Hiroko Sakai (2-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-3) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
August 19
edit09:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taiwan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
W: Lu Wei (2-1) L: Lai Sheng-Jung (1-1) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
12:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greece | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
United States | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 0 | ||||
Game ended by Run Ahead Rule | ||||||||||||
W: Lisa Fernandez (2-0) L: Stephanie Skegas-Maxwell (0-1) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
17:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Japan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | ||
W: Yukiko Ueno (1-2) L: Jennifer Spediacci (1-2) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
19:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
W: Melanie Roche (3-0) L: Lauren Bay (2-2) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
August 20
edit09:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
W: Lauren Bay (3-2) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-3) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
12:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Taiwan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||
United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | X | 3 | 8 | 1 | ||
W: Catherine Osterman (2-0) L: Wu Chia-Yen (0-3) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
USA 1 : C.Bustos in 4th, 1 RBI |
17:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greece | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
Australia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 | 7 | 1 | ||
W: Tanya Harding (3-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-4) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
AUS 2 : T.Mosley in 4th, 2 RBI;S.Porter in 3rd, 1 RBI |
19:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 2 | 8 | 0 | ||
W: Yukiko Ueno (1-2)** L: Lu Wei (2-2) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
** Perfect game
Medal round
editThe semi-final game between the #3 and #4 ranked teams (Japan and China) is an elimination game, with the loser out. The winner faces the loser of the other semifinal in the bronze medal game later Sunday night. The loser of the bronze medal game received the bronze medal. The winner of that game faces the winner of the Australia versus the United States semifinal in the gold medal game, with the winner of that game receiving gold and the loser receiving silver.
Semifinals | Bronze medal game | Gold medal game | |||||||||||
1 | United States | 5 | 2 | Australia | 1 | ||||||||
2 | Australia | 0 | 1 | United States | 5 | ||||||||
2 | Australia | 3 | |||||||||||
3 | Japan | 0 | |||||||||||
3 | Japan | 1 | |||||||||||
4 | China | 0 | |||||||||||
Semifinals
editAugust 22 9:30
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | |
China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | |
W: Yukiko Ueno (2-2) L: Lu Wei (2-3) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
none |
August 22 12:20
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | x | 5 | 8 | 0 | ||
W: Lisa Fernandez (3-0) L: Melanie Roche (3-1) | ||||||||||||
Home Run | ||||||||||||
USA: K. Kretschman in 6th, 1 RBI |
Bronze medal game
editAugust 22 17:00
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |||
Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |||
W: Tanya Harding (4-0) L: Juri Takayama (1-2) | |||||||||||||
Home Run | |||||||||||||
none |
Gold medal game
editAugust 23 16:00