Fresno State Athletics
Laura Berg and USA Softball Take Olympic Gold
8/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Aug. 23, 2004
FRESNO, Calif. -
Power, dominance and finally perfection resulted in the United States capturing its third consecutive Olympic gold medal when the U.S. Women's National Team defeated Australia, 5-1, at Helliniko Olympic Softball Stadium in Athens, Greece today.
The XXVIII Olympiad saw more than its share of Olympic softball records set as three-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Fernandez tossed a four-hitter in the win over the Australians to finish 4-0 at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.
As the first team to go undefeated in Olympic play, Team USA went a perfect 9-0 while belting out an Olympic-record nine home runs and outscoring its opponents 51-1.
Having scored first in six of the nine games during Olympic play, the United States got on the scoreboard quickly with a three-run first.
In the first with one out, senior third baseman Crystl Bustos connected for her fourth home run with a two-run shot to center for an early 2-0 lead. Team USA got its third run on an error when a two-out hit up the middle by right fielder Kelly Kretschman was thrown back in to home plate but eluded the Aussie catcher. Fernandez, who was standing on third after advancing on a single by catcher Stacey Nuveman, scored on the misplay.
In the third inning Bustos led off the bottom half with a tape-measure shot to left field that went over the grass berm and into a dusty parking lot. It was her fifth long ball, a new Olympic record. With one out, Nuveman then responded with Team USA's third home run of the gold medal game to give the United State's a 5-0 lead. Of the 14 home runs hits in the 2004 Olympics, the United States belted nine of them.
The United States knocked out Australia starter Tanya Harding, who allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits while striking out one in 2.1 innings. Harding entered the game at 4-0 and had not allowed a run in 33.0 innings of work.
The Australians did do one thing that no other opponent could do this summer and that was score a run. In the top of the sixth with two outs, designated player Stacey Porter, who redshirted the 2004 collegiate softball season for Hawai'i, came up with a RBI single to left and stopped the United State's streak of scoreless innings at 54.2.
In the seventh, Fernandez, who is now 7-2 in Olympic competition, sat down the Australian batters 1-2-3 and gave the United States its third consecutive Olympic gold medal.
With 79 consecutive wins since losing to the USA National "B" Team on July 13 at the 2003 Cananda Cup, former Bulldogs Laura Berg and Lovie Jung went 1-3 in the gold medal game. In the tournament, Berg ranked among the tournament's top 10 in runs (No. 4, 4) and batting (No. 5, .368 (7-19) while recording a stolen base and a RBI. Jung scored five runs to rank among the best while batting .333 (6-20) with a double, three RBI and a team-high five walks.
A Look Back
USA Today dubbed its Olympic softball gold medal article Red, White, Blue and Gold but for those who witnessed the finest U.S. Olympic Softball squad ever assembled they will proclaim them as powerful, triumphant, dominant and compassionate.
Records fell like dominoes as every game showcased a part of the United State's game plan: speed, defense, consistency, small ball, long ball, pitching prowess and aggressiveness.
Stingy in the circle and even more so in the field that saw only two extra base hits, the U.S. Women's National Team proved that unity overcame despair and loss. Togetherness brought success despite a heavy burden to claim its third consecutive gold medal. Exhilaration and focus yielded a temporary escape from reality. And the finality of mission accomplished transfigured into a triumph of life as these world class athletes gave all they could to help another human being deal with a devasting loss. Talent prevailed but there is a better bet that the heart ended up being the strongest muscle that drove each and every one of them.
En route to winning its third consecutive gold medal, several Olympic records were set by Team USA as the Olympic team showcased pure dominance:
Pure Dominance:
Team
Individual
Olympic Records Tied
Final Standings
1. United States (9-0) - Gold
2. Australia (7-3) - Silver
3. Japan (5-4) - Bronze
4. China (3-5) - lost in semifinal game to Japan
5. Canada (3-4)
6. Greece (2-5)
7. Chinese Taipei (2-5)
8. Italy (1-6)
Olympic Appearances
Three
United States (1996, 2000, 2004 -- all gold medals)
Japan (1996, 4th; 2000 silver medal; 2004 bronze medal)
China (1996 silver medal; 2000, 4th; 2004, 4th)
Australia (1996 bronze medal; 2000 bronze medal; 2004 silver medal)
Canada (1996, 5th; 2000, 4th; 2004, 5th)
Two
Italy (2000, 5th; 2004, 8th)
Chinese Taipei (1996, 6th; 2004, 7th)
One
New Zealand (2000, 6th)
Cuba (2000, 7th)
Netherlands (1996)
Puerto Rico (1996)
