Team USA’s Amanda Chidester scores a double-run walk-off double in the eighth inning of her 2-1 win over Australia on Sunday (Saturday night PT) at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Yokohama, Japan. (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA / AFP via Getty Images)
Pitcher Monica Abbott # 14 of Team United States throws in the first inning against Team Australia during the softball opening round on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium on July 25, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan, on. (Photo by Yuichi Masuda / Getty Images)
Australian Tarni Stepto, 14, will face the United States in the first inning of a softball game at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Sunday, July 25, 2021 in Yokohama, Japan. (AP Photo / Sue Ogrocki)
Team United States’ Haylie McCleney # 8 collides with team Australia catcher Belinda White # 22 as she attempts to get in the first inning during the softball opening round on day two of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at Yokohama Baseball Stadium on May 25 Scoring a goal on July 25th, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. McCleney was called out in the play. (Photo by Yuichi Masuda / Getty Images)
Haylie McCleney (left) from the USA loses her helmet after being hit by Australian catcher Belinda White (right) in the first inning of a softball game at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Yokohama on the home -Plate has been marked. Japan. (AP Photo / Sue Ogrocki)
Australian Clare Warwick (right) gets the throw in time to beat Ali Aguilar (left) of the USA in the sixth inning of a softball game at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Yokohama, Japan at the mark second base. (AP Photo / Sue Ogrocki)
USA starter Monica Abbott poses during the first innings of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games opening softball game between Australia and the USA at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in Yokohama, Japan on July 25, 2021. (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA / AFP via Getty Images)
Team United States’ Delaney Spaulding # 99 throws to first base in the sixth inning during the softball opening round on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium on July 25, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan against Team Australia. (Photo by Yuichi Masuda / Getty Images)
Team USA pitcher Monica Abbott reacts in the sixth inning of a softball game against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Sunday, July 25, 2021 in Yokohama, Japan. (AP Photo / Sue Ogrocki)
US catcher Aubree Munro and pitcher Monica Abbott high-five after the end of the third innings of the game against Team Australia during the softball opening round on day two of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at Yokohama Baseball Stadium on July 25, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Yuichi Masuda / Getty Images)
Australian Chelsea Forkin (25) celebrates with his teammates after scoring in the eighth inning of a softball game against the USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Yokohama, Japan on Sunday, July 25th, 2021. (AP Photo / Sue Ogrocki)
Team USA’s Amanda Chidester watches her game-winning single during the eighth inning of her game against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Sunday (Saturday night PT) in Yokohama, Japan. (AP Photo / Sue Ogrocki)
Amanda Chidester (C) of the US watches the ball as she walk-off single with an RBI- during the extra eighth inning of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games opening softball game between Australia and the US in Yokohama Doubles from Australia’s pitcher Tarni Stepto (L) hits ballpark in Yokohama, Japan on July 25, 2021. (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA / AFP via Getty Images)
Team USA’s Haylie McCleney scores the decisive run in front of Australian catcher Belinda White, left, during the eighth inning of her Olympic softball game on Sunday (Saturday night PT) in Yokohama, Japan. The US improved to 4-0 and secured a spot in the gold medal game, most likely against hosts Japan. (AP Photo / Sue Ogrocki)
Haylie McCleney (left) of the USA celebrates after winning the game behind Australian Belinda White (left) in the eighth inning of a softball game at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Sunday, July 25, 2021, in Yokohama, Japan Has. (AP Photo / Sue Ogrocki)
Team United States’ Aubree Munro # 1 and Haylie McCleney # 8 celebrate after McCleney scored the first of two runs in the eighth inning to beat Team Australia 2-1 during the softball opening round on day two of the Olympics at Tokyo 2020 win at Yokohama Ballpark on July 25, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Yuichi Masuda / Getty Images)
Team United States’ Aubree Munro # 1 and Haylie McCleney # 8 celebrate after McCleney scored the first of two runs in the eighth inning to beat Team Australia 2-1 during the softball opening round on day two of the Olympics at Tokyo 2020 win at Yokohama Ballpark on July 25, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Yuichi Masuda / Getty Images)
The US softball players celebrate their walk-off victory during the additional eighth innings of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games opening softball game between Australia and the US at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in Yokohama, Japan on July 25, 2021. (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA / AFP) (Photo by KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA / AFP via Getty Images)
Amanda Chidester, center, of the US, is bullied by teammates after winning a game in the eighth inning of a softball game against Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Sunday, July 25, 2021 in Yokohama, Japan. (AP Photo / Sue Ogrocki)
YOKOHAMA, Japan – The United States had just given up its first run and was two outs away from losing for the first time in the Olympic softball tournament.
Amanda Chidester stepped onto the plate with two runners and hit the ball into left field.
“In my head I think: Score! Points two! Points two! Get two! ”She remembered. « When I got up and everyone ran after me, I thought: We did it! »
Pinch runners Ally Carda and Haylie McCleney hit the plate in the eighth-inning singles in Chidester and gave Team USA on Sunday (Saturday night PT) a vibrant 2-1 win over Australia and a likely rematch with defending champions Japan in Tuesday’s gold medal game.
Monica Abbott (2-0) hit 13 and threw a three-hitter in an entire 126-field game and gave up an undeserved run when Jade Wall went on eight fields, with the bases in the top of the eighth game were loaded to force the game automatic runner.
With pinch runner Ally Carda in second place as the automatic runner in the lower half, leadoff hitter McCleney Tarni Stepto (0-1) reached an infield single on a 1-and-0 pitch. McCleney hit a two-hopper to short Clare Warwick, who put her feet before the throw, allowing McCleney to get on the base for the fourth time in the game. She beats .727 (8 for 11) and has hit 13 times in 15 record appearances.
Janie Reed, wife of major league relief Jake Reed, sacrificed for the fourth time in the tournament, bringing the runners to second and third place.
She swung a punch on the outer half of the plate and walked sharply past a diving Warwick. Wall picked up the ball two steps on the field and heaved it home, but first baseman Taylah Tsitsikorinis cut the throw when Carda and McCleney hit while standing.
Chidester slipped into second place and got the extra base in case a runner was thrown out before her. When she emerged, she saw teammates running into the field to celebrate.
« Impressive! Incredible softball, » said Abbott. « Lots of tense moments. But you live for those moments. These are the moments when people like to compete. »
Abbott went six thugs, two of them on purpose. She has a 0.00 ERA and two saves, which allows for four hits in 17 innings with 28 strikeouts and nine walks. Abbott improved to 5-0 in her Olympic career.
After the USA have only scored seven runs in four games, the USA (4-0) will play against Japan on Monday in a matchup that will likely only determine which team beats last in the gold medal game. No. 2 Japan (3-0) have the chance to get a place in this game if they play against Canada (2-1) on Sunday later.
« We’re fired up and they’re throwing the ball really, really well, » said US coach Ken Eriksen, referring to his nicknames for Abbott and Cat Osterman.
Related articles
TV schedule of the Tokyo Olympics for Sunday July 25th July
Kalisz, Lithuania completely UGA, uh, USA Olympic victory Olympic
Former gold medalist Pam McGee is proud of her son JaVale and his Olympic pursuit
U.S. women’s football is recovering from its opening defeat at the Olympics by driving out New Zealand
Japan’s King Kohei falls; Progress in US men’s gymnastics
Australia took the lead in eighth after automatic runner Belinda White finished third in Leigh Godfrey’s victim. Stacey Porter was purposely run for a second time, Taylah Tsitsikronis left, Chelsea Forkin scored a third goal and Wall fouled a pair of 3 and 2 fields before taking an indoor court. She has competed in three of the four Australian runs in the tournament.
McCleney’s triple in the first inning was wasted when the US went 0 for 6, with runners in the scoring position before eighth and falling to 3 for 31 at the Olympics. The teams combined eight hits and over 10 games beat the tournament’s six countries .192 with a 555 OPS, making Major League Baseball’s .241 and 720 OPS look robust.
Abbott, who turns 36 on Wednesday, and 38-year-old Osterman are the last remaining players on the team that lost 3-1 in the 2008 Beijing gold medal game.
« Hopefully, » said Eriksen, « get back on a plane to fly undefeated over the Pacific. »
We invite you to use our comment platform to have insightful conversations about topics in our community. While we do not pre-examine comments, we reserve the right to remove any information or material that is illegal, threatening, offensive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent, or otherwise objectionable to us, and all Disclose information that is necessary to comply with any law, regulation, or governmental requirement. We can permanently block any user who abuses these terms.
If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the « Report as inappropriate » function by hovering your mouse over the right side of the post and drag the indicated arrow down. Or contact our editors by email at [email protected].
Keywords:
