Australia got off to a dream start in their opening Olympic match against Japan, loading the bases and taking the lead in the first inning.
But it was all downhill from there as Japan tied the game on an obstruction call in the bottom of the first and didn’t look back, slugging their way to an 8-1 victory via the mercy rule.
Chelsea Forkin was hit by a pitch in the first inning to force in Australia’s only run for the game.Credit:Getty Images
Softball is played over seven innings but the mercy rule is applied when a team leads by a certain number of runs after a certain number of innings. On Wednesday, the Australians trailed by seven runs at the bottom of the fifth inning, so the game was called early.
Veteran Australian captain Stacey Porter told Channel Seven that the first game of a tournament was always the hardest but the Spirit were ready to regroup.
“We have a good 24 hours, probably more, to go back and watch some footage, regroup as a group and stick together as the Aussies,” she said. “We’re not called the Spirit for no reason.”
The Japanese are the reigning gold medallists – softball was last played at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 – and they were favourites going into this match.
But star pitcher Yukiko Ueno got off to an uncharacteristic and shaky start. Michelle Cox reached first base on a swinging bunt back to the pitcher and Leigh Godfrey popped out to third before Ueno walked Porter and hit Taylah Tsitsikronis to load the bases.
Ueno then hit Chelsea Forkin to force in a run and give the Australians the lead with just one out. But the Spirit failed to capitalise and did not score again.
Japan answered back almost immediately. With two out in the bottom of the first, Minori Naito walked and then stole second base on a past ball. She scored off a hit to right field by Yu Mamamoto, called safe at home when catcher Tsitsikronis was deemed to have obstructed her path.
After that, it was all the long ball for the Japanese, and always with a runner on base. Naito hit a two-run bomb to centre field in the third to give Japan a 3-1 lead. Yamato Fujita hit a two-run homer to left field in the fourth, making it 5-1 Japan.
Australia made a pitching change, but Japan scored again in the very long fourth inning, this time on a sacrifice fly from Nodoka Harada to make it 6-1.
Minori Naito celebrates her two-run home run as she rounds the bases.Credit:Getty Images
Australia again loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning but again failed to score. Japan then walked it off in the fifth with none out via yet another two-run home run, this time to Yu Yamamoto, with the final score 8-1.
Porter said it was great to be back in the Olympics after a 13-year hiatus and the team would take the good elements of their game against Japan into their match against Italy on Thursday.
“It’s the first game of a long tournament so we’re in for the battle now and we’re ready for it.”
There are six teams in competition at the Olympics and they will play each other once. The top two teams will play off for gold and the third and fourth teams will play for bronze.
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