U.S. softball team was denied gold medal for beaten 3-1 by Japan

Yukiko Ueno, Japan‘s remarkably resilient right-hander, shut down the Americans and handed them their first loss since Sept. 21, 2000 at the Sydney Games. The U.S. had won 22 straight since then, most of them with outrageously lopsided scores.

Another gold was certainly within reach. Instead, they walked off Fengtai Field with their heads bowed. "It hurts a lot," slugger Crystl Bustos said. "You train your whole life and you want to win. You don’t expect to lose." The U.S. team never led and made two uncharacteristic errors in the seventh inning to help the Japanese add an important insurance run – one they didn’t even need. When Caitlin Lowe grounded to third for the final out, Vicky Galindo, who led off the U.S. team’s seventh inning with a pinch-hit single, wrapped her hands over her helmet and cringed.

Moments later, U.S. coach Mike Candrea huddled with his stunned players, many of whom couldn’t even look up. Lowe choked back tears as Bustos tried to console her overwhelmed teammates.

Except for Bustos’ homer, Ueno was in command. She was able to escape a pair of one-out, bases-loaded situations to keep the American scoring machine in check. And needing three outs in the seventh, her shortstop raced into foul territory to snag a pop up by Tairia Flowers and then her third baseman backhanded Natasha Watley’s hot smash.

Always out front, this time the U.S. found itself trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning. It was the first time the Americans were behind by more than a run in four Olympics, and it proved to be too much for the world’s best lineup to overcome. Bustos had cut it to 2-1 with her 14th career homer, and it looked as if the Americans would finally get to Ueno in the sixth when they loaded the bases.

Lowe singled leading off and Candrea, who came in 17-0 in Olympic games, had Jessica Mendoza, one of his power hitters, sacrifice. The decision moved Lowe to second, but it allowed Ueno to avoid Bustos by intentionally walking the fearsome slugger.