USA to meet Japan again for Olympic gold

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A three-run home run by Crystl Bustos in the ninth inning Wednesday gave the United States a 4-1 win over Japan in the Olympic softball semifinals.

The unique medal-round formula, however, created a situation in which the Americans and Japanese will meet again Thursday for the gold medal.

The sport of softball, which will be eliminated from the Olympic program after this year, produced three dramatic games Wednesday.

The Americans outlasted Japan in a battle of the teams that finished 1-2 in the preliminary round. Australia and Canada, the third and fourth-place finishers, next met with the Australians rallying for a 5-3 victory.

Japan and Australia then went 12 innings before Rei Nishiyama's bases-loaded single gave the Japanese a 4-3 win. Yukiko Ueno pitched all 21 innings in the two games for Japan, which began against the United States at 9:30 a.m. and finished against Australia at 8:30 p.m.

Australia receives the bronze medal and Japan will play the United States again for the gold on Thursday.

American Monica Abbott and Ueno pitched matching shutouts through the regulation seven innings and each threw a scoreless eighth despite the international rule that puts a runner on second base to start any extra inning.

The United States came through in the ninth when, with Natasha Watley on second to start the inning, Caitlin Lowe delivered a run-scoring single. Jessica Mendoza drew a walk and Bustos unloaded with a shot that carried halfway up in the left-field seats.

Japan scored a run off Abbott in the bottom of the ninth and Cat Osterman came on in relief to record the final three outs.