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Down but not out After loss to China, U.S. eyes showdown with Aussies
BLACKTOWN, Australia -- Seasons changed. Civilizations rose and fell. Species came and went on the endangered list. Meanwhile, the U.S. softball team played China at Blacktown Olympic Stadium. Just a day after helping set the Olympic softball endurance standard in an 11-inning, 2-1 upset loss to Japan, the U.S. team toiled through another shocking defeat in a 14-inning, three-hour-and-50-minute pitching duel that had a sparse scattering of spectators chanting "U-S-A" and "Chi-na!" partly to ward off the late-night -- make that early morning -- chill. It wasn't until the automatic sprinklers came on briefly before the start of the 14th inning, at 11:50 p.m., that China finally broke the nil-nil deadlock with two runs scored off a mishandled infield single. When the U.S. couldn't answer in the bottom half, it officially entered its first losing streak since 1982. "We have had terrific pitching the last few days, but without runs, that means absolutely nothing," said coach Ralph Raymond. Michelle Smith, who pitched six innings (76 pitches) in relief on Tuesday against Japan, pitched the whole way against China, tallying 179 pitches and an Olympic-record 21 strikeouts. She couldn't remember another time she had pitched so long for naught. "I'm emotionally stunned," she said. "We've never been in this position before. Usually we find a way to win, but we have been out of synch offensively." The unlikely poster girl for the team's offensive woes is pitcher-third baseman Lisa Fernandez, a player who is widely considered the best in the game but who is now 0-for-18 for the tournament. Asked about her batting slump after the Japan game, Fernandez broke down in tears and declared herself a "disappointment" to her team. But she'll get a chance to make amends Thursday when she gets her first start, against archrival Australia, the only team to beat her in Atlanta. "I'm looking forward to bringing a rhythm to this team, to get us back on track," she said. "Our team will break through this. And when it does, we will be incredible." Besides a team-wide batting slump (just three hits total against China), the U.S. will have to battle fatigue and the usual outpouring of noisy support for the home squad. Fernandez, for one, is looking forward to the challenge. "Anything worth winning is worth fighting for," she says. SI For Women staff writer Kelli Anderson is in Sydney covering the Games for the magazine and CNNSI.com. Check back to read Anderson's behind-the-scenes reports from Down Under.
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