USA gets perfect game from Abbott

BEIJING, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Monica Abbott threw a perfect game Sunday in carrying the U.S. softball team to an 8-0 Olympic victory over the Netherlands.

The game lasted only five innings because of the Olympic mercy rule. It was the third no-hitter thrown by an American pitcher in the Games.

Abbott struck out nine of the 15 straight batters she retired. It was the 20th straight Olympic victory for the United States, which has only China remaining in its preliminary-round schedule.

Crystl Bustos went three for three with a solo homer. The United States has outscored the opposition 44-1 in six games and the lone run the Americans surrendered was unearned. Opponents of the United States scored just one run during the entire Athens Olympics.

Tairai Flowers and Jessica Mendoza also homered Sunday, giving the Americans a record 12 in the Beijing Olympics.

In other games, Taiwan edged China 2-1, Japan was a 5-2 winner over Venezuela and Australia blanked Canada 4-0.

Japan is in second place behind the Americans with a 5-1 record. Australia and Canada are both 4-2 and will likely join Japan and the United States in the medal round.