Softball at the 2004 Summer Olympics

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Softball
at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad
Softball, Athens 2004.png
Venue Olympic Softball Stadium
Dates14 – 23 August 2004
Competitors120 from 8 nations
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svgFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Silver medal icon.svgFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Bronze medal icon.svgFlag of Japan.svg  Japan
  2000
2008  

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 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 competitionin 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

GoldSilverBronze
Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)

Leah Amico
Laura Berg
Crystl Bustos
Lisa Fernandez
Jennie Finch
Tairia Flowers
Amanda Freed
Lori Harrigan
Lovieanne Jung
Kelly Kretschman
Jessica Mendoza
Stacey Nuveman
Cat Osterman
Jenny Topping
Natasha Watley

Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)

Sandra Allen
Marissa Carpadios
Fiona Crawford
Amanda Doman
Peta Edebone
Tanya Harding
Natalie Hodgskin
Simmone Morrow
Tracey Mosley
Stacey Porter
Melanie Roche
Natalie Titcume
Natalie Ward
Brooke Wilkins
Kerry Wyborn

Flag of Japan.svg  Japan  (JPN)

Emi Inui
Kazue Ito
Yumi Iwabuchi
Masumi Mishina
Emi Naito
Haruka Saito
Hiroko Sakai
Naoko Sakamoto
Rie Sato
Yuki Sato
Juri Takayama
Yukiko Ueno
Reika Utsugi
Eri Yamada
Noriko Yamaji

In 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

Results

Olympic Softball Stadium at the Helliniko Olympic Complex - shown abandoned in November 2018. Athens Softball Stadium Abandoned 2018.jpg
Olympic Softball Stadium at the Helliniko Olympic Complex - shown abandoned in November 2018.

Starting 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

TeamPldWLRFRAPct
Flag of the United States.svg  United States 7704101.000
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia 76122140.857
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 7431780.571
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 73415200.429
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 7346140.429
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Chinese Taipei 7253130.286
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 7256240.286
Flag of Italy (2003-2006).svg  Italy 7168240.143

Preliminary round

August 14

August 15

August 16

09:30

Team1234567RHE
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China0000040440
Flag of Canada.svg Canada0000000042
W: Zhang Lixia (1-0) L: Lauren Bay (1-1)
Home Run
none

12:00

Team12345678RHE
Flag of the United States.svg United States00000003330
Flag of Japan.svg Japan00000000013
W: Catherine Osterman (1-0) L: Juri Takayama (0-1)
Home Run
none

17:00

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Italy.svg Italy0000100160
Flag of Greece.svg Greece200000X253
W: Sarah Farnworth (2-1) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-1)
Home Run
none

19:30

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg Taiwan0000000020
Flag of Australia.svg Australia000100X140
W: Wu Chia-Yen (0-2) L: Tanya Harding (2-0)
Home Run
none

August 17

09:30

Team1234567RHE
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China0000000011
Flag of the United States.svg United States210010X451
W: Lori Harrigan (1-0) L: Zhang Lixia (1-1)
Home Run
USA 1 : C.Bustos in 5th, 1 RBI

12:00

Team12345678RHE
Flag of Canada.svg Canada00000001112
Flag of Japan.svg Japan00000000031
W: Lauren Bay (2-1) L: Yukiko Ueno (0-2)
Home Run
none

17:00

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg Taiwan0000002231
Flag of Greece.svg Greece000100X051
W: Lai Sheng-Jung (1-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-2)
Home Run
none

19:30

Team12345RHE
Flag of Australia.svg Australia222028101
Flag of Italy.svg Italy00000021
Game end by Run Ahead Rule
W: Melanie Roche (1-0) L: Jennifer Spediacci (0-1)
Home Run
AUS 2 : S.Porter in 1st, 2 RBI;N.Titcume in 5th, 2 RBI

August 18

09:30

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Italy.svg Italy0000000051
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg Taiwan000100X140
W: Lin Su-Hua (1-1) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-2)
Home Run
none

12:00

Team12345678RHE
Flag of Australia.svg Australia00000005540
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China00000000012
W: Melanie Roche (2-0) L: Lu Wei (1-1)
Home Run
none

17:00

Team12345RHE
Flag of Canada.svg Canada00000011
Flag of the United States.svg United States121217111
Game ended by Run Ahead Rule
W: Jennie Finch (2-0) L: Auburn Sigurdson (0-1)
Home Run
USA 2 : C.Bustos in 4th, 1 RBI;L.Fernandez in 4th, 1 RBI

19:30

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Japan.svg Japan03100026121
Flag of Greece.svg Greece000000X023
W: Hiroko Sakai (2-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-3)
Home Run
none

August 19

09:30

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg Taiwan0000000012
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China000010X140
W: Lu Wei (2-1) L: Lai Sheng-Jung (1-1)
Home Run
none

12:00

Team12345RHE
Flag of Greece.svg Greece00000011
Flag of the United States.svg United States00133790
Game ended by Run Ahead Rule
W: Lisa Fernandez (2-0) L: Stephanie Skegas-Maxwell (0-1)
Home Run
none

17:00

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Italy.svg Italy0000000030
Flag of Japan.svg Japan0010000181
W: Yukiko Ueno (1-2) L: Jennifer Spediacci (1-2)
Home Run
none

19:30

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Australia.svg Australia0100000140
Flag of Canada.svg Canada0000000050
W: Melanie Roche (3-0) L: Lauren Bay (2-2)
Home Run
none

August 20

09:30

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Italy.svg Italy0000000020
Flag of Canada.svg Canada000100X111
W: Lauren Bay (3-2) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-3)
Home Run
none

12:00

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg Taiwan0000000042
Flag of the United States.svg United States000111X381
W: Catherine Osterman (2-0) L: Wu Chia-Yen (0-3)
Home Run
USA 1 : C.Bustos in 4th, 1 RBI

17:00

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Greece.svg Greece2000000242
Flag of Australia.svg Australia001200X371
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

Team1234567RHE
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China0000000000
Flag of Japan.svg Japan000011X280
W: Yukiko Ueno (1-2)**L: Lu Wei (2-2)
Home Run
none

** Perfect game

Medal round

The 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.

SemifinalsBronze medal gameGold medal game
1Flag of the United States.svg  United States 52Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 1
2Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 01Flag of the United States.svg  United States 5
2Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 3
3Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 0
3Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 1
4Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 0

Semifinals

August 22 9:30

Team12345678RHE
Flag of Japan.svg Japan00000001160
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China00000000034
W: Yukiko Ueno (2-2) L: Lu Wei (2-3)
Home Run
none

August 22 12:20

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Australia.svg Australia0000000030
Flag of the United States.svg United States000131x580
W: Lisa Fernandez (3-0) L: Melanie Roche (3-1)
Home Run
USA: K. Kretschman in 6th, 1 RBI

Bronze medal game

August 22 17:00

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Australia.svg Australia0000300340
Flag of Japan.svg Japan0000000031
W: Tanya Harding (4-0) L: Juri Takayama (1-2)
Home Run
none

Gold medal game

August 23 16:00

Team1234567RHE
Flag of Australia.svg Australia0000010141
Flag of the United States.svg United States302000x590
W: Lisa Fernandez (4-0) L: Tanya Harding (4-1)
Home Run
USA : C.Bustos in 1st, 2 RBI; C.Bustos in 3rd, 1 RBI; S.Nuveman in 3rd, 1 RBI

See also

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References