Softball
at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad
VenueOlympic Softball Stadium
Dates14 – 23 August 2004
Competitors120 from 8 nations
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s)  United States
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  Australia
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  Japan

Softball was a women's sporting event at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Games were played at the softball stadium in the Helliniko Olympic Complex from August 14 to 23. The United States won the gold while Australia took silver and Japan received bronze.

Softball was one of the three sports at the 2004 Athens Olympics that was for women only along with Synchronized Swimming and Rhythmic Gymnastics. Eight teams competed for the gold medal in only the third appearance of softball at the Summer Olympics. The softball competition featured 120 athletes.

Japanese pitcher Yukiko Ueno threw a perfect gamethe first at an Olympics’ softball competitionin a preliminary round match against China.[1] The United States dominated the overall competition, winning all seven of its preliminary matches and defeating Australia twice in the medal round.

Medalists

Gold Silver Bronze
 United States (USA)

Leah Amico
Laura Berg
Crystl Bustos
Lisa Fernandez
Jennie Finch
Tairia Flowers
Amanda Freed
Lori Harrigan
Lovieanne Jung
Kelly Kretschman
Jessica Mendoza
Stacey Nuveman
Cat Osterman
Jenny Topping
Natasha Watley

 Australia (AUS)

Sandra Allen
Marissa Carpadios
Fiona Crawford
Amanda Doman
Peta Edebone
Tanya Harding
Natalie Hodgskin
Simmone Morrow
Tracey Mosley
Stacey Porter
Melanie Roche
Natalie Titcume
Natalie Ward
Brooke Wilkins
Kerry Wyborn

 Japan (JPN)

Emi Inui
Kazue Ito
Yumi Iwabuchi
Masumi Mishina
Emi Naito
Haruka Saito
Hiroko Sakai
Naoko Sakamoto
Rie Sato
Yuki Sato
Juri Takayama
Yukiko Ueno
Reika Utsugi
Eri Yamada
Noriko Yamaji

In one of the most dominating runs in softball history, the United States team led by head coach Mike Candrea won the gold medal by defeating Australia 5-1 in the championship game on August 23. It was the first time in 9 games that an opponent scored a run against Team USA. Crystl Bustos hit two home runs to provide all the run-support that pitcher Lisa Fernandez required. Fernandez pitched all six innings, picking up her second win against Australia in as many days. She also won the semi-final game.

Throughout the tournament Team USA outscored its opponents 51-1. Team USA won the Olympic gold medal in softball for the third straight time.

Australia's silver medal marks its best result in Olympic softball history. Japan earned the bronze medal after defeating China in the semi-final, and losing to Australia in the Bronze medal game.

Participants

Results

Olympic Softball Stadium at the Helliniko Olympic Complex - shown abandoned in November 2018.

Starting August 14, there were four preliminary games each day until August 20 for a total of 28 games. Two semi-final games were played August 22, with the game for third place following later that day. The final game for the gold medal was played on August 23 at 4pm local time.

Standings

Team Pld W L RF RA Pct
 United States 7 7 0 41 0 1.000
 Australia 7 6 1 22 14 0.857
 Japan 7 4 3 17 8 0.571
 China 7 3 4 15 20 0.429
 Canada 7 3 4 6 14 0.429
 Chinese Taipei 7 2 5 3 13 0.286
 Greece 7 2 5 6 24 0.286
 Italy 7 1 6 8 24 0.143

Preliminary round

August 14

August 15

August 16

09:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
China 0000040 440
Canada 0000000 042
W: Zhang Lixia (1-0) L: Lauren Bay (1-1)
Home Run
none

12:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
United States 00000003 330
Japan 00000000 013
W: Catherine Osterman (1-0) L: Juri Takayama (0-1)
Home Run
none

17:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Italy 0000100 160
Greece 200000X 253
W: Sarah Farnworth (2-1) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-1)
Home Run
none

19:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Taiwan 0000000 020
Australia 000100X 140
W: Wu Chia-Yen (0-2) L: Tanya Harding (2-0)
Home Run
none

August 17

09:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
China 0000000 011
United States 210010X 451
W: Lori Harrigan (1-0) L: Zhang Lixia (1-1)
Home Run
USA 1 : C.Bustos in 5th, 1 RBI

12:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Canada 00000001 112
Japan 00000000 031
W: Lauren Bay (2-1) L: Yukiko Ueno (0-2)
Home Run
none

17:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Taiwan 0000002 231
Greece 000100X 051
W: Lai Sheng-Jung (1-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-2)
Home Run
none

19:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Australia 22202 8101
Italy 00000 021
Game end by Run Ahead Rule
W: Melanie Roche (1-0) L: Jennifer Spediacci (0-1)
Home Run
AUS 2 : S.Porter in 1st, 2 RBI;N.Titcume in 5th, 2 RBI

August 18

09:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Italy 0000000 051
Taiwan 000100X 140
W: Lin Su-Hua (1-1) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-2)
Home Run
none

12:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Australia 00000005 540
China 00000000 012
W: Melanie Roche (2-0) L: Lu Wei (1-1)
Home Run
none

17:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Canada 00000 011
United States 12121 7111
Game ended by Run Ahead Rule
W: Jennie Finch (2-0) L: Auburn Sigurdson (0-1)
Home Run
USA 2 : C.Bustos in 4th, 1 RBI;L.Fernandez in 4th, 1 RBI

19:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Japan 0310002 6121
Greece 000000X 023
W: Hiroko Sakai (2-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-3)
Home Run
none

August 19

09:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Taiwan 0000000 012
China 000010X 140
W: Lu Wei (2-1) L: Lai Sheng-Jung (1-1)
Home Run
none

12:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Greece 00000 011
United States 00133 790
Game ended by Run Ahead Rule
W: Lisa Fernandez (2-0) L: Stephanie Skegas-Maxwell (0-1)
Home Run
none

17:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Italy 0000000 030
Japan 0010000 181
W: Yukiko Ueno (1-2) L: Jennifer Spediacci (1-2)
Home Run
none

19:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Australia 0100000 140
Canada 0000000 050
W: Melanie Roche (3-0) L: Lauren Bay (2-2)
Home Run
none

August 20

09:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Italy 0000000 020
Canada 000100X 111
W: Lauren Bay (3-2) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-3)
Home Run
none

12:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Taiwan 0000000 042
United States 000111X 381
W: Catherine Osterman (2-0) L: Wu Chia-Yen (0-3)
Home Run
USA 1 : C.Bustos in 4th, 1 RBI

17:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Greece 2000000 242
Australia 001200X 371
W: Tanya Harding (3-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-4)
Home Run
AUS 2 : T.Mosley in 4th, 2 RBI;S.Porter in 3rd, 1 RBI

19:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
China 0000000 000
Japan 000011X 280
W: Yukiko Ueno (1-2)** L: Lu Wei (2-2)
Home Run
none

** Perfect game

Medal round

The semi-final game between the #3 and #4 ranked teams (Japan and China) is an elimination game, with the loser out. The winner faces the loser of the other semifinal in the bronze medal game later Sunday night. The loser of the bronze medal game received the bronze medal. The winner of that game faces the winner of the Australia versus the United States semifinal in the gold medal game, with the winner of that game receiving gold and the loser receiving silver.

SemifinalsBronze medal gameGold medal game
1 United States52 Australia1
2 Australia01 United States5
2 Australia3
3 Japan0
3 Japan1
4 China0

Semifinals

August 22 9:30

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Japan 00000001 160
China 00000000 034
W: Yukiko Ueno (2-2) L: Lu Wei (2-3)
Home Run
none

August 22 12:20

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Australia 0000000 030
United States 000131x 580
W: Lisa Fernandez (3-0) L: Melanie Roche (3-1)
Home Run
USA: K. Kretschman in 6th, 1 RBI

Bronze medal game

August 22 17:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Australia 0000300 340
Japan 0000000 031
W: Tanya Harding (4-0) L: Juri Takayama (1-2)
Home Run
none

Gold medal game

August 23 16:00

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Australia 0000010 141
United States 302000x 590
W: Lisa Fernandez (4-0) L: Tanya Harding (4-1)
Home Run
USA : C.Bustos in 1st, 2 RBI; C.Bustos in 3rd, 1 RBI; S.Nuveman in 3rd, 1 RBI

See also

References

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