Chinese Taipei players listen to strategy from their coach during the second inning of their game today against USA.

JAPAN BLANKS HOST; VENEZUELA WINS AGAIN
2008-08-16

BEIJING, CHINA -- Exactly 24 hours after snapping a three-game losing streak to notch their first ever Olympic softball win, Venezuela made it two victories in a row with a 2-0 upset tonight of Canada.

Earlier Japan bounced back from their first loss of the tournament yesterday to shut out the host China team, 3-0, despite garnering just two hits.

The Olympic News Service provided this recap of the four games from Day 5...

Home run hitters Yuruby Alicart (Venezuela), Jessica Mendoza (United States), Rie Sato (Japan), Simmone Morrow (Australia), and Sandy Lewis (Australia) led their teams to victory as the preliminary round continued at the Fengtai Softball Field on Saturday.

Venezuela shocked Canada 2-0 in the biggest upset of the day. Pitcher Mariangee Bogado picked up her second victory and second complete game. Bogado struck out Canadian catcher Erin Cumpstone in the bottom of the seventh inning with base runners on second and third and two outs to seal the victory.

The upset put Canada's record at 3-2 and dropped them into a tie for third place with Australia. Venezuela's victory moved them into a tie for fifth place with China.

The United States hammered Chinese Taipei 7-0. Jessica Mendoza had two RBIs, including a home run (her third in two days), to spur the U.S. team to its fifth victory.

Winning pitcher Jennie Finch gave up two hits and two walks. She also hit one batter and struck out six others. Lin Su-hua took the loss for Chinese Taipei, giving up 10 hits and three walks in four innings.

The game was ended after five innings under the International Softball Federation's run-ahead rule. The rule provides that a game will be declared complete and over after five innings if one team is leading the other by seven or more runs.

A three-run home run by Sato in the third inning was the margin of difference for Japan in a 3-0 win over China.

China's starting pitcher Lu Wei suffered through another poor performance in the pitching circle. In addition to the three runs, she gave up one hit and three walks. She had just one strikeout in three innings.

Olympic veteran Yukiko Ueno of Japan was the winning pitcher. Ueno gave up five hits but struck out six in the six innings she worked.

Japan's record improved to 4-1, while China's fell to 2-3.

Australia beat up on the Netherlands 8-0. Home runs by Morrow and Lewis helped Australia coast to its third victory in five games. Lewis led the team with three runs batted in, thanks to her three-run home run in the seventh inning.

Winning pitcher Justine Smethurst was on her way to a perfect game when she struck Jolanda Kroesen with a pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning. Smethurst had retired 16 batters in a row before that.

Starting pitcher Judith van Kampen took the loss for the Netherlands, who remain winless.

RF = runs for, RA = runs against