Taiwan’s women’s softball team suffered a deflating blow yesterday, losing 6-1 to Canada on the opening day of the tournament.
Canada was seen as one of the teams Taiwan had to beat to have any chance of finishing in the top four after the round robin phase of the eight-team tournament and thus be in contention for a medal.
Canada’s lineup had little trouble with Taiwan’s pitchers, pounding out 11 hits in the seven-inning game. Taiwan’s starter, Wu Chia-yen, gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits in two-and-two-thirds innings to take the loss.
Canada scored two runs in the second inning and two more in the third to put the game out of reach.
Taiwan’s only offense was a home run by third baseman Li Chiu-ching in the seventh.
The six runs Canada scored matched their entire run production at the Athens Olympics.
With the US, Japan and Australia considered the medal favorities, China, Canada and Taiwan were seen to be competing for the fourth and final spot in the medal round.
In other action yesterday the US opened their campaign by thrashing Venezuela 11-0 in five innings in the worst such beating in Olympics history.
The rout was the 14th consecutive Olympic win for the US, a streak of dominance stretching back to a 2-1 round-robin loss to Australia at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Of those 14 wins, 13 have been shutouts, the rampaging Americans out-scoring opponents 74-1.
“We’re not trying to put on a show, we’re trying to play the game the way we know how to play,” US coach Mike Candrea told reporters. “USA softball plays the game hard, plays the game aggressively, playing it smart, and that’s my concern.”
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