Cat gets the start.
Cat strikes out all three batters in the top of the first.
As everybody knows, I am a huge Cat fan and would like to see her pitch every inning of every game, so I am ecstatic to learn that she gets to start the championship game. That being said, I have to wonder what Finch must be feeling. She has pitched the fewest innings of our three pitchers in these Olympics games, and she must be disappointed that Monica got to face Japan twice during the tournament, including the semifinals, while Finch, so far, hasn't been allowed to pitch in the final two games, at all.
The USA loaded the bases in the bottom of the first, but a pop foul ended the inning with no score.
Cat struck out two more in the top of the second. Still no score.
USA does not score in the bottom of the second.
Well, ****. Japan led off the top of the third with a double to the wall off an eyeball high riser. Then, the batter moved the runner to third on a sacrifice bunt. Cat struck out the next batter, but the next hit an infield single to score the runner from third. 1-0.
No score for the USA in the bottom of the third. Suddenly, my pucker factor is coming into play.
Cat threw another rise ball to start the fourth. It was forehead high, but the Japanese batter tomahawked it out of the park to center field. 2-0. Now, I'm depressed.
Somebody else needs to take over this game report. I'm thinking about putting my head under a pillow.
Rain delay-------maybe the team can get itself together during the break.
Game on again. Osterman struck out two in the fourth with no more damage. The problem has been the rise ball. Usually, it rises completely over the batter's head, but, on the two that were hit, it only rose about eyeball level, and Japan was obviously waiting for it. If Cat stays in the game, she needs to stick with the drops if she can't get that rise ball high enough.
Bustos crushes a homer to right to start the bottom of the fourth. 2-1. No more runs in fourth.
No runs or hits for Japan in the top of fifth. One more strike out for Cat--she has nine so far.
No runs for the USA in the bottom of the fifth. Only two more chances to tie or win. Can you spell pressure?
Monica Abbott relieves Cat in the sixth. What the hell has happened to Finch. Is she sick? The announcers just explained that the probable reason Finch isn't pitching against Japan is that it has seven left handed batters, and Finch is a rightie. Japan gets a two out single against Monica. Monica hits the next batter. Strike out to end the inning with no damage done.
Bottom of sixth. Lowe reaches first as the lead off hitter in the inning. Sacrifice bunt by Mendosa gets her to second. Bustos is intentionally walked. Runners on first and second with one out. Kelly is up. Walked. Bases loaded with one out. Duran up. Called strike one. Ball one outside. Ball two high. Infield fly rule. Two out. Bases still loaded. Stacie, our catcher, is up. Ball one. Pop up to second. Side retired. One more chance, with the bottom of our batting order coming up in the seventh. I need a drink.
Japan is up in the top of the seventh. Lead off hitter gets base hit to left. The next batter bunts. We try to throw to second--dropped, runner safe at second. Two on--nobody out. The next batter grounds out to Monica, but the runners advance to second and third. Suicide squeeze scores one runner. Another tagged out. The score is now 3-1. Two outs. Strike out ends the inning. Last chance for USA.
Pinch hitter for USA to start the bottom of the seventh inning. Base hit line drive to center field. Pop out by our ninth place hitter. One out, runner still on first. Line drive out. Lowe is our last chance. Out at first. Japan wins.
Cat strikes out all three batters in the top of the first.
As everybody knows, I am a huge Cat fan and would like to see her pitch every inning of every game, so I am ecstatic to learn that she gets to start the championship game. That being said, I have to wonder what Finch must be feeling. She has pitched the fewest innings of our three pitchers in these Olympics games, and she must be disappointed that Monica got to face Japan twice during the tournament, including the semifinals, while Finch, so far, hasn't been allowed to pitch in the final two games, at all.
The USA loaded the bases in the bottom of the first, but a pop foul ended the inning with no score.
Cat struck out two more in the top of the second. Still no score.
USA does not score in the bottom of the second.
Well, ****. Japan led off the top of the third with a double to the wall off an eyeball high riser. Then, the batter moved the runner to third on a sacrifice bunt. Cat struck out the next batter, but the next hit an infield single to score the runner from third. 1-0.
No score for the USA in the bottom of the third. Suddenly, my pucker factor is coming into play.
Cat threw another rise ball to start the fourth. It was forehead high, but the Japanese batter tomahawked it out of the park to center field. 2-0. Now, I'm depressed.
Somebody else needs to take over this game report. I'm thinking about putting my head under a pillow.
Rain delay-------maybe the team can get itself together during the break.
Game on again. Osterman struck out two in the fourth with no more damage. The problem has been the rise ball. Usually, it rises completely over the batter's head, but, on the two that were hit, it only rose about eyeball level, and Japan was obviously waiting for it. If Cat stays in the game, she needs to stick with the drops if she can't get that rise ball high enough.
Bustos crushes a homer to right to start the bottom of the fourth. 2-1. No more runs in fourth.
No runs or hits for Japan in the top of fifth. One more strike out for Cat--she has nine so far.
No runs for the USA in the bottom of the fifth. Only two more chances to tie or win. Can you spell pressure?
Monica Abbott relieves Cat in the sixth. What the hell has happened to Finch. Is she sick? The announcers just explained that the probable reason Finch isn't pitching against Japan is that it has seven left handed batters, and Finch is a rightie. Japan gets a two out single against Monica. Monica hits the next batter. Strike out to end the inning with no damage done.
Bottom of sixth. Lowe reaches first as the lead off hitter in the inning. Sacrifice bunt by Mendosa gets her to second. Bustos is intentionally walked. Runners on first and second with one out. Kelly is up. Walked. Bases loaded with one out. Duran up. Called strike one. Ball one outside. Ball two high. Infield fly rule. Two out. Bases still loaded. Stacie, our catcher, is up. Ball one. Pop up to second. Side retired. One more chance, with the bottom of our batting order coming up in the seventh. I need a drink.
Japan is up in the top of the seventh. Lead off hitter gets base hit to left. The next batter bunts. We try to throw to second--dropped, runner safe at second. Two on--nobody out. The next batter grounds out to Monica, but the runners advance to second and third. Suicide squeeze scores one runner. Another tagged out. The score is now 3-1. Two outs. Strike out ends the inning. Last chance for USA.
Pinch hitter for USA to start the bottom of the seventh inning. Base hit line drive to center field. Pop out by our ninth place hitter. One out, runner still on first. Line drive out. Lowe is our last chance. Out at first. Japan wins.
