Kim Kluijskens and her Netherlands teammates played unbeaten Japan close tonight but couldn't break through for their first win.

RAIN TAKES ITS TOLL ON THIRD DAY OF PLAY AT OLYMPICS
2008-08-14

BEIJING, CHINA -- It took more than 100 games, but for the first time in the history of Olympic softball, a game could not be completed and had to be re-scheduled due to weather.

The USA and Canada endured a rain delay during their game this morning, then resumed play only to have the rest of their game unable to be completed on Thursday as the weather worsened. Canada is leading 1-0 and the game is in the top of the fourth inning. Its conclusion has been moved to Friday, 30 minutes after the completion of the 12 Noon game (between USA and Japan) (Day 4 starts with Canada taking on the host, China).

The Olympic News Service provided this recap of the on-field activity from Day 3...

The third day of Olympic Softball competition at Beijing 2008 was interrupted by a series of summer rain showers moving through the Chinese capital.

Simmone Morrow starred as Australia ended China's undefeated run in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with a 3-1 victory at Fengtai Softball Field on Thursday, August 14.

Leadoff batter Morrow hit the ball out of the park on her first two times at bat to have a hand in all three of Australia's runs. Morrow's second home run came in the second inning with Jodie Bowering on base.

China's only run came in the third inning. Yu Yanhong picked up her second RBI of the tournament when her single to right field scored Zhang Lifang from second base. The home run ball that enhanced China's offense in earlier games was missing. China hit the ball beyond the infield only three times in 27 at bats.

The victory was Australia's first in three tries in Beijing 2008. Tanya Harding, who was charged with her team's loss to the United States on Wednesday, picked up the win. Harding gave up one run, two hits and one walk in three innings. She struck out two batters.

Reliever Melanie Roche gave up one hit and had one strikeout during her four innings of work.

Losing pitcher Yu Huili suffered her first loss in the competition. She lasted only one and one-third innings, giving up two runs on three hits and four walks. Pitcher Li Qi finished the game for China, striking out eight batters. Li limited Australia to two hits during her five and two-thirds innings of relief work.

The day's match-up between Canada and the United States was postponed at the height of the storm, as noted above.

Two first inning runs and a series of Dutch errors helped Japan post a 3-0 victory over the Netherlands at Fengtai Softball Field.

Poor fielding and errant pitching plagued the Netherlands early in the game. A wild pitch followed by an illegal pitch by Judith van Kampen moved base runner Rei Nishiyama to third base. Eri Yamada drove her in with a single and then advanced to second herself on a fielding error by left fielder Marjan Smit. Another Van Kampen wild pitch allowed Yamada to move to third base and she scored on Satoko Mabuchi's single.

Winning pitcher Hiroko Sakai pitched six innings, gave up six hits and struck out six batters. Reliever Naho Emoto gave up one hit and struck out one. Japan boosted its Beijing 2008 Olympics Games tournament record to 3-0 with the victory.

Losing pitcher van Kampen went the distance for the Netherlands, which is now 0-3 in the tournament. Van Kampen gave up three runs, eight hits and two walks while striking out just two batters.

Japan's first-baseman Sato commented on Japan's winning performance, "The preliminary games are continuing so our team needs to cooperate and connect with each other just like one person."

Under the lights, Chinese Taipei retired Venezuela 3-0 as the South American representative improved its play but couldn't break through to the win column.

A second inning error by Venezuelan second baseplayer Yuruby Alicart opened the door for Lo Hsiao's two-run double and that was all she wrote. Lu Hsueh-Mei tacked on another run for the winners with a solo home run leading off the fourth inning.

Wu Chia-yen won the game with four and a third innings of three hit pitching, while Johana Gomez took the loss, allowing three runs in three and two thirds innings.

"It's really frustrating. We're trying to do the little things and end up doing too much," said Venezuelan team captain and first baseplayer Maria Soto.