Competitions – WNT

The USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) began paving the way for softball players all over the country in 1996 as they were crowned the first-ever softball Olympic Gold Medalists.

Team USA went 8-1 on their journey to the Gold with its one loss coming from Australia in round-robin play. After securing the No. 1 seed in the medal rounds, Team USA was set to face off with China in the first of two semi-final match ups. The U.S. defeated the Chinese, 1-0, in a ten-inning battle courtesy of Sheila Cornell’s RBI single to score Dot Richardson for the lone run of the game, punching their ticket to the Gold Medal game. China fought their way back to the Gold Medal game to challenge Team USA for the third and final time. The U.S. offense grabbed an early lead as Dot Richardson delivered a historic home run over the right field fence to give Team USA a 3-0 lead. The Chinese managed to plate one run in the sixth inning, but never fully recovered as Lisa Fernandez retired the final batter of the game with a strikeout, clinching the most important softball victory of all-time and permanently edging Team USA’s name in history as the first softball team to ever earn an Olympic Gold Medal.

“It was like we stepped through a doorway from the past into the future,” said Michele Smith in 1996 as Team USA marshaled a new era for softball. 

The U.S. outscored their opponents 38-8 in their nine-game quest to the Gold with the offense combining for eight home runs while the pitching staff collected three shutouts and 99 strikeouts. Leading Team USA on offense was Sheila Cornell with nine RBI and three home runs, Dot Richardson with seven RBI and three home runs and Lisa Fernandez with five RBI and one home run. Fernandez was also a key factor in the circle with 31 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. 

The 2000 Olympic Games marked another historical moment for Team USA and the sport of softball as the U.S. claimed back-to-back Gold Medals after suffering their first three-game losing streak in international competition. The U.S. entered the event as a clear-cut favorite but had to fight their way back to the top like they never had before.

In the Olympic opener, Lori Harrigan became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Olympic competition as the U.S. shut out Canada 6-0. Crystl Bustos was the hero in the second game, going 5-for-7 at the plate with three home runs to lead Team USA to a 3-0 victory over Cuba. The U.S. then suffered three consecutive losses to Japan (2-1), China (2-0) and Australia (2-1) in their final round-robin match ups. A year of redemption, though, Team USA pushed their way to the medal rounds with wins over New Zealand and Italy, advancing them to a rematch against China and Australia. The end result, this time in Team USA’s favor, sent the U.S. to the Gold Medal game against unbeaten Japan where Team USA would earn their third-straight redemption victory, defeating Japan 2-1 to secure back-to-back Olympic Gold Medals. “It’s always sweeter the second time around,” said 2000 Team USA Head Coach Ralph Raymond.

“This one means so much more to me,” said Fernandez. “We had to do so much more to win it.”

Despite dropping three games in round-robin play, the U.S. dominantly outscored their opponents 25-7. The offense combined for nine homeruns in the 10-game journey with Crystl Bustos leading the pact, powering three balls over the fence with four RBI. Also contributing to the long ball was Jennifer Brundage (2) and Dot Richardson, Stacey Nuveman, Shiela Cornell-Douty, and Lisa Fernandez with one home run each. The U.S. pitching staff struck out 132 batters with Lisa Fernandez leading the way, retiring 52 of her 94 faced batters via strikeout. Michele Smith also proved dominant in the circle, retiring 37 batters via the K in 27 innings. Christa Williams, Lori Harrigan, and Danielle Henderson went undefeated in the circle without allowing a single run.

Returning from the 1996 Olympic Team and claiming their second Olympic Gold Medal included Lisa Fernandez, Michele Smith, Lori Harrigan, Christa Williams, Sheila Cornell-Douty, Leah O’Brien, Dot Richardson and Laura Berg.

The 2004 Olympic Games performance by the USA Women’s National Team was the most dominant in softball Olympic history. The U.S. squad, led by Mike Candrea, was considered the best women’s softball team ever assembled and possibly the most dominant Olympic team of any sport.

The Red, White and Blue started the 2004 Games with no hesitation as Jennie Finch led the U.S. to their first victory in a three-inning run rule over Italy. The dominance continued in their second contest, plating 10 runs against Australia for their second consecutive run rule of the Games. Team USA recorded four additional shutout victories to conclude round-robin play and advance to the medal rounds for the third-straight year. The U.S. faced Australia in both of their playoff games. In their first face off, Lisa Fernandez led from the circle and the plate, scoring USA’s first run of the game in the fourth inning. Crystl Bustos, Stacy Nuveman, and Kelly Kretschman added three insurance runs for the U.S., resulting in a 5-0 victory. The Australians were once again unable to quiet the U.S. bats in their final contest of the Games as Bustos pushed two balls over the fence and Nuveman followed with one, earning the U.S. a 5-1 Gold Medal victory.

Team USA went a perfect 9-0 through the Games with eight consecutive shutout victories. The U.S. outscored their opponents 51-1 in their nine-game quest to the Gold and did not allow a run until the sixth inning of their final game. This team proved to be something special, being anointed the “Real Dream Team” by Sports Illustrated, symbolizing the ascension of USA Softball to the top of women’s sports.

Members of the 2004 Olympic Team set 18 Olympic records including the most hits (73), highest team batting average (.343) and highest team slugging percentage (.559). Fernandez set the individual record for batting average (.545) while Bustos set the RBI record (10) and the home run record (5). “They are a ‘special’ group that will go down in history as the most dominant team to ever take the field,” said Head Coach Mike Candrea after the 2004 Olympic Gold Medal victory.

The 2004 USA Women’s National Team is one of ten Olympic teams inducted in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

Among the 2004 members were 1996 and 2000 Olympic Gold Medalists Lisa Fernandez, Laura Berg, Leah O’Brien-Amico and Lori Harrigan, collecting their third consecutive Gold Medal while 2000 Team USA members Stacy Nuveman and Crystl Bustos earned their second.

The Women’s National Team returned to what many hoped would not be the final softball Olympic Games in 2008. With hopes to secure a fourth-consecutive Gold Medal, a tough loss to Japan in the Gold Medal game sent Team USA home with their first Olympic Silver Medal.

The U.S. was a dominant force through the Games, though, remaining undefeated until their final game. Jennie Finch and Monica Abbott led Team USA to their first win of the Games against Venezuela, combining for a no-hitter while the U.S. offense plated 11 runs to set an Olympic record for most runs scored in a game. Cat Osterman took control of the circle in the second game, becoming the second U.S. pitcher to ever toss an Olympic game no-hitter with a 3-0 shutout over Australia. Team USA continued their winning-streak with a third-game victory over Japan, sending four balls over the fence to set another Olympic record for most home runs hit in a game. The Red, White and Blue earned two more round-robin victories over Canada and Chinese Taipei, improving their record to 5-0.

Their sixth game made the record books for Abbot as she recorded the first  perfect game in Olympic history for a U.S. athlete in an 8-0 five-inning  victory. Team USA closed round-robin action with a 9-0 win over China to  secure the No. 1 seed in playoffs.

Team USA opened playoffs with a 4-1 extra-inning victory over Japan with the efforts of Caitlin Lowe and Crystl Bustos to put four runs on the board in the top of the ninth inning. With the win, the U.S. advanced to its fourth-straight Olympic Gold Medal game. The U.S. met Japan in their final contest for their third match up of the Games. The Japanese plated three runs throughout the game while a Bustos home run was all the U.S. could get on the board, resulting in a 3-1 loss for the Olympic Silver Medal.

Despite falling two runs short of their fourth Olympic Gold Medal, Team USA’s dominance remained throughout as they outscored their opponents 58-5. The offense collected 15 home runs with six coming from Crystl Bustos and four from Jessica Mendoza. Bustos led the offense with an impressive .500 batting average (11-for-22) through nine games. Monica Abbott, Cat Osterman, and Jennie Finch combined for 79 strikeouts in the circle with Abbott going a perfect 3-0 and Finch remaining undefeated with two wins. Osterman led the staff in strikeouts, retiring 33 of her 62 faced batters.

Among the 2008 members was Team USA’s four-time Olympian Laura Berg, 2000 and 2004 members Stacy Nuveman and Crystl Bustos, and 2004 members Jennie Finch, Tairia Flowers, Lovieanne Jung, Kelly Kretschman, Lauren Lappin, Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman and Natasha Wately.

A 13-year hiatus – 4,717 days – from the Olympic stage officially came to an end for the sport of
softball as the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Held July 21-27, Team USA posted a 5-1 record through the Games with an undefeated Opening Round before falling to Japan in the Gold Medal matchup to earn the Tokyo Olympic silver medal.

It was a battle of the top two defenses in the world as the sport of softball returned to its first Olympic Gold Medal game since 2008. In its fifth-consecutive Gold Medal contest, the U.S. Olympic Softball Team suffered a heartbreaking 2-0 loss to Team Japan to earn the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver Medal. In a game that featured multiple “flash of the leather” defensive moments, the U.S. defense worked its way out of five innings with Japanese runners in scoring position, while the Japan defense remained solid to keep the Eagles off the board.

Olympic veteran Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) got the start in the circle for the U.S. while Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) and Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.), Team USA’s other Olympic Veteran, also contributed to the final Tokyo Olympic matchup. Highlighting the U.S. offense was Janie Reed (Placentia, Calif.) who tallied two of Team USA’s three hits with a triple and single.

“Today’s matchup was a typical USA versus Japan game,” said U.S. Olympic Softball Team Head Coach, Ken Eriksen. “It was tight all the way until the end. I think both teams played well and unfortunately tonight just wasn’t our night.”

“If you’re fan of softball in the United States, you have to be very, very proud of the team that went out and competed against Team Japan tonight,” he added. “These athletes gave their all for their teammates and their country.”

Japan looked to get things started early with a leadoff single in the top of the first before a sac bunt and ground out advanced the runner to the third. With two outs and the go-ahead run 60 feet away, the U.S. defense remained unphased with a groundout to Delaney Spaulding (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) to end the at-bat. In the bottom of the inning, Reed would blast a deep fly ball off the right field fence for a one-out triple before being called out at the plate on an attempt to steal home on a dropped third strike to Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich.).

The Japan offense would put another runner on in the top of the second with a one-out double, but a fly out to Ali Aguilar (Orangevale, Calif.) followed by a stellar catch from Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) at the right field wall would leave her stranded. Despite a one-out walk to Spaulding in the bottom of the frame, a nicely turned double play by the Japan defense would clear the bases and retire the U.S. offense. Carda entered the circle in the top of the third with a runner on first and quickly issued two ground outs before allowing another baserunner on with a hit-by-pitch. The U.S. defense once again proved superior though, this time with Aguilar making a diving play to leave the runners stranded.   

Japan got on the board in the top of the fourth after piecing together a pair of singles and a walk to score their first run of the game. A leadoff single followed by a sac bunt and ground out would put a runner on third base with two outs before a walk would add a runner on first. A slow chopper to Aguilar would allow enough time for Mana Atsumi to beat out the grounder for a base hit RBI, giving Japan a one-run edge before Carda fired back with a strikeout to end the inning without any more damage.

Abbot took over pitching duties in the top of the fifth with two outs and a runner on first before a pitch off the glove of Aubree Munro (Brea, Calif.) allowed the runner to steal second. A line drive was then sent to right field to plate another run for Team Japan and extend their lead, 2-0. Remaining quiet through five innings, the Eagles managed to put a runner on in the bottom of the frame with a walk to Aguilar but would be sent back to defense after the next three batters were retired in order.  A leadoff single was all the Japan offense was able to muster in the top of the sixth before two ground outs and a strikeout sent Team USA back to the plate.

Lighting a spark for the U.S. offense, Moultrie stepped up with a single to left field before Reed sent her second hit of the game up the middle to put runners on first and second with one out. In a play that will go down in the history books, Chidester sent a hard line drive off the arm of Yu Yamamoto and into the glove of shortstop Atsumi, who then tossed the ball to second for the double play, allowing Japan to escape the threat unscathed.

The Japan offense would come inches away from adding to their lead in the top of the seventh as Yamato Fujita sent a deep fly ball to what would have been a home run if it weren’t for the glove of Reed, who leaped in the air and reached over the fence for the save. Despite the momentum from the strong defensive inning, the U.S. offense remained stifled through its final at-bat of the game to surrender the 2-0 loss to Team Japan. 

The Silver Medal win goes down as the U.S. Olympic Softball Team’s second in Olympic history after falling to Japan at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

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