Australia's Kelly Hardie fires in a pitch in her team's 3-1 win tonight over Chinese Taipei.

VENEZUELA'S FIRST EVER WIN IN A BIG WAY
2008-08-15

BEIJING, CHINA -- As if just recording the first ever Olympic softball win in the national team's and country's history weren't enough, Venezuela made sure it was memorable by giving it to the Netherlands to the tune of 8-0. It was music to their ears for the team that had tears in their eyes 24 hours earlier as they walked off the field 3-0 losers to Chinese Taipei.

In other Day 4 play, a big way was how Australia came from behind to defeat Chinese Taipei. Trailing 1-0 after four innings, the Aussies got back-to-back solo home runs from Natalie Titcume and Natalie Ward in the top of the fifth en route to a 3-1 victory.

The Olympic News Service provided this recap of the full slate of games from Day 4, including one that was being continued from yesterday...

Right fielder Zhang Ai's misreading of a fly ball in the sixth ended up costing her team the game as Canada defeated China 1-0 at Fengtai Softball Field on Friday.

Jennifer Yee sent a long, high fly ball sailing out over Zhang's head in the sixth inning of a scoreless game. Zhang turned her back to the field and ran all the way to the outfield fence, holding out her gloved hand to catch the ball.

It tipped her glove and landed back on the warning track that separates the outfield grass from the fence. Zhang, apparently thinking the ball had gone over the fence and was a home run, took several seconds to recover her bearings and realize the ball was still in play.

By that time, Yee had already rounded second base and was headed for third. Zhang's throw to the infield and the subsequent relay throw to catcher Guo Jia came too late to stop Yee from completing an inside-the-park home run and scoring the only run of the game.

Winning pitcher Lauren Bay Regula kept her perfect 0.00 earned run average (ERA) intact, allowing no runs on two hits and two walks in seven innings. Bay Regula struck out six batters as unbeaten Canada posted its third victory.

Lu Wei also went the distance but in a losing effort. She allowed three hits and walked five batters while striking out seven. China's record dropped to 2-2 with the loss.

Jennifer Yee, on scoring her run in the sixth inning, said, "I thought it was out, but it started to drop. I thought she was going to catch it but then she dropped it. I thought I've just got to run so I put my head down and just kept running."

Team USA sent ten batters to the plate in the first inning and brought four of them home as they romped over previously undefeated Japan 7-0 at Fengtai Softball Field on Friday.

Leadoff batter Natasha Watley started the fireworks with a home run into the right field stands. Jessica Mendoza put the second home run of the inning into the center field stands to score both Caitlin Lowe and herself.

Crystl Bustos jumped into the home run derby four pitches later, sending a pulsing line drive into the center field stands to make the score to 7-0.

Bustos's home run set two Olympic records. It bettered her own mark for career Olympic home runs by one -- she now has 11 -- and it gave the United States sole possession of the record for most home runs by a team in a single game (four).

The contest was declared an official game after five innings under the International Softball Federation's "run ahead rule." The rule provides that a game may be declared over when one team is leading the other by seven runs or more after the fifth inning is completed.

The victory kept the U.S. team's won-lost record perfect at 3-0.

Monica Abbott was the winning pitcher. She threw five scoreless innings and allowed just one hit and no walks in handing Japan its first loss of the Games.

Losing pitcher Emoto Naho gave up four runs on four hits.

After nursing a one-run lead for more than 26 hours, Canada allowed the United States eight runs, four of them unearned, during the completion of Thursday's rain-delayed game to lose 8-1 at Fengtai Softball Field on Friday.

Cat Osterman earned the victory, pitching four flawless innings on Friday. She struck out eight batters and allowed only one pitch to be hit out of the infield.

Losing pitcher Dione Meier worked four and two-thirds innings. She was charged with all eight runs as well as five hits and two walks.

Canada's defeat dropped it into a tie for second place with Japan. Both teams have 3-1 records.

Back-to-back home runs by Natalie Titcume and Natalie Ward helped Australia sweep aside Chinese Taipei's early one-run lead and win 3-1.

The two Natalies connected for their solo home runs off losing pitcher Lai Sheng-jung in the fifth inning.

Kelly Hardie, who replaced starter Justine Smethurst in the fourth inning, was the winning pitcher. Hardie struck out one batter and gave up one hit. The victory evened Australia's team record in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at 2-2.

Lai was slapped with the loss, Chinese Taipei's third in four games and her second in two outings. She gave up one other hit in addition to the two home runs.

Venezuela won its first game at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in surprising fashion, scoring a five-inning 8-0 victory over the Netherlands.

Yaicey Sojo and Rubilena Rojas each contributed two runs batted in (RBI) to their team's offense, while pitcher Mariangee Bogado went the distance for her first victory. Bogado struck out three batters while allowing one hit in the game, shortened when umpires invoked the International Softball Federation's "run ahead rule." The rule provides that a game shall be declared over and official after five innings if one team is seven or more runs ahead of the other.

Losing pitcher Kristi de Vries gave up all eight runs, seven hits and three walks while striking out just two batters.

Venezuelan left fielder Rubilena Rojas offered this on the opportunities softball offers women in sport, "It's a clean sport that's offered a lot of opportunities from our experience. We've had a free education in the United States and we're not from the best socio-economic status. A lot of the girls have parents who haven't been educated. We have 15 girls who, through softball, have been given the tools to be better women and to give back to society. That is what softball has given us."

RF = runs for, RA = runs against