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Softball at the 2004 Summer Olympics was held at the Olympic Softball Stadium in the Helliniko Olympic Complex from August 14 to 23. The United States (USA) won the gold while Australia (AUS) took silver and Japan (JPN), the bronze.

It was one of the three sports at the Athens Olympics that was for women only along with Synchronized Swimming and Rhythmic Gymnastics.

Eight teams competed for the gold medal in only the third appearance of the sport at the Summer Olympics.

Medalists

Gold	Silver	Bronze
United States (USA) Leah Amico Laura Berg Crystl Bustos Lisa Fernandez Jennie Finch Tairia Flowers Amanda Freed Lori Harrigan Lovieanne Jung Kelly Kretschman Jessica Mendoza Stacey Nuveman Cat Osterman Jenny Topping Natasha Watley	Australia (AUS) Sandra Allen Marissa Carpadios Fiona Crawford Amanda Doman Peta Edebone Tanya Harding Natalie Hodgskin Simmone Morrow Tracey Mosley Stacey Porter Melanie Roche Natalie Titcume Natalie Ward Brooke Wilkins Kerry Wyborn	Japan (JPN) Emi Inui Kazue Ito Yumi Iwabuchi Masumi Mishina Emi Naito Haruka Saito Hiroko Sakai Naoko Sakamoto Rie Sato Yuki Sato Juri Takayama Yukiko Ueno Reika Utsugi Eri Yamada Noriko Yamaji

In one of the most dominating runs in softball history, the United States team led by head coach Mike Candrea won the gold medal by defeating Australia 5-1 in the championship game on August 23. It was the first time in 9 games that an opponent scored a run against Team USA. Crystl Bustos hit two home runs to provide all the run-support that pitcher Lisa Fernandez required. Fernandez pitched all six innings, picking up her second win against Australia in as many days. She also won the semi-final game.

Throughout the tournament Team USA outscored its opponents 51-1. Team USA has won the Olympic gold medal in softball for the third straight time.

Australia's silver medal marks its best result in Olympic softball history. Japan earned the bronze medal after defeating China in the semi-final, and losing to Australia in the Bronze medal game.

Participants

Results

Starting August 14, there were four preliminary games each day until August 20 for a total of 28 games. Two semi-final games were played August 22, with the game for third place following later that day. The final game for the gold medal was played on August 23 at 4pm local time.

Standings

Team	Pld	W	L	RF	RA	Pct
United States	7	7	0	41	0	1.000
Australia	7	6	1	22	14	0.857
Japan	7	4	3	17	8	0.571
China	7	3	4	15	20	0.429
Canada	7	3	4	6	14	0.429
Chinese Taipei	7	2	5	3	13	0.286
Greece	7	2	5	6	24	0.286
Italy	7	1	6	8	24	0.143

Preliminary round

August 14

August 14 – 09:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Australia 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 4 7 0 Japan 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 WP: Tanya Harding (1-0)  LP: Yukiko Ueno (0-1)   HRs:  AUS – N.Titcume in 4th, 1 RBI August 14 – 12:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Italy 0 0 0 0 0 - - 0 3 2 United States 1 3 0 0 3 - - 7 11 0 WP: Jennie Finch (1-0)  LP: Leslie Malerich (0-1)

August 14 – 17:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 Canada 0 0 0 2 0 0 X 2 5 0 WP: Lauren Bay (1-0)  LP: Wu Chia-Yen (0-1)   August 14 – 19:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 China 0 1 1 0 3 0 X 5 5 1 WP: Lu Wei (1-0)  LP: Sarah Farnworth (0-1)

August 15

August 15 – 09:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 Japan 1 4 0 0 1 0 X 6 13 0 WP: Sakai Hiroko (1-0)  LP: Lin Su-Hua (0-1)   HRs:  TPE – N.Titcume in 4th, 1 RBI August 15 – 12:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 9 3 China 0 1 0 0 1 0 X 7 X 0 WP: Jennifer Spediacci (1-0)  LP: Li Qi (0-1)   17:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E Australia 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 United States 2 0 0 8 X 10 9 2 Game ended by Run Ahead Rule W: Lisa Fernandez (1-0) L: Brooke Wilkins (0-1) Home Run USA 1 : S.Nuveman in 4th, 3 RBI 19:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 Greece 0 1 0 0 1 0 X 2 3 0 W: Sarah Farnworth (1-1) L: Kaila Holtz (0-1) Home Run none August 16 09:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E China 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 4 0 Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 W: Zhang Lixia (1-0) L: Lauren Bay (1-1) Home Run none 12:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E United States 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 W: Catherine Osterman (1-0) L: Juri Takayama (0-1) Home Run none 17:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Italy 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 6 0 Greece 2 0 0 0 0 0 X 2 5 3 W: Sarah Farnworth (2-1) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-1) Home Run none 19:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Australia 0 0 0 1 0 0 X 1 4 0 W: Wu Chia-Yen (0-2) L: Tanya Harding (2-0) Home Run none August 17 09:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E China 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 United States 2 1 0 0 1 0 X 4 5 1 W: Lori Harrigan (1-0) L: Zhang Lixia (1-1) Home Run USA 1 : C.Bustos in 5th, 1 RBI 12:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 W: Lauren Bay (2-1) L: Yukiko Ueno (0-2) Home Run none 17:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 1 Greece 0 0 0 1 0 0 X 0 5 1 W: Lai Sheng-Jung (1-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-2) Home Run none 19:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E Australia 2 2 2 0 2 8 10 1 Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 Game end by Run Ahead Rule W: Melanie Roche (1-0) L: Jennifer Spediacci (0-1) Home Run AUS 2 : S.Porter in 1st, 2 RBI;N.Titcume in 5th, 2 RBI August 18 09:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 1 0 0 X 1 4 0 W: Lin Su-Hua (1-1) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-2) Home Run none 12:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E Australia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 4 0 China 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 W: Melanie Roche (2-0) L: Lu Wei (1-1) Home Run none 17:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 United States 1 2 1 2 1 7 11 1 Game ended by Run Ahead Rule W: Jennie Finch (2-0) L: Auburn Sigurdson (0-1) Home Run USA 2 : C.Bustos in 4th, 1 RBI;L.Fernandez in 4th, 1 RBI 19:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Japan 0 3 1 0 0 0 2 6 12 1 Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 0 2 3 W: Hiroko Sakai (2-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-3) Home Run none August 19 09:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 China 0 0 0 0 1 0 X 1 4 0 W: Lu Wei (2-1) L: Lai Sheng-Jung (1-1) Home Run none 12:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 United States 0 0 1 3 3 7 9 0 Game ended by Run Ahead Rule W: Lisa Fernandez (2-0) L: Stephanie Skegas-Maxwell (0-1) Home Run none 17:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 Japan 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 8 1 W: Yukiko Ueno (1-2) L: Jennifer Spediacci (1-2) Home Run none 19:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Australia 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 W: Melanie Roche (3-0) L: Lauren Bay (2-2) Home Run none August 20 09:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 Canada 0 0 0 1 0 0 X 1 1 1 W: Lauren Bay (3-2) L: Susan Bugliarello (0-3) Home Run none 12:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 United States 0 0 0 1 1 1 X 3 8 1 W: Catherine Osterman (2-0) L: Wu Chia-Yen (0-3) Home Run USA 1 : C.Bustos in 4th, 1 RBI 17:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Greece 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 2 Australia 0 0 1 2 0 0 X 3 7 1 W: Tanya Harding (3-0) L: Sarah Farnworth (2-4) Home Run AUS 2 : T.Mosley in 4th, 2 RBI;S.Porter in 3rd, 1 RBI 19:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E China 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Japan 0 0 0 0 1 1 X 2 8 0 W: Yukiko Ueno (1-2)** L: Lu Wei (2-2) Home Run none ** Perfect game Medal Round The semi-final game between the #3 and #4 ranked teams (Japan and China) is an elimination game, with the loser out. The winner faces the loser of the other semifinal in the bronze medal game later Sunday night. The loser of the bronze medal game received the bronze medal. The winner of that game faces the winner of the Australia vs. United States semifinal in the gold medal game, with the winner of that game receiving gold and the loser receiving silver.   Semifinals Bronze medal game Gold medal game                             1   United States 5   2   Australia 0         2   Australia 1       Australia 3   1   United States 5   3   Japan 0   3   Japan 1 4   China 0   Semifinals August 22 9:30 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 0 China 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 W: Yukiko Ueno (2-2) L: Lu Wei (2-3) Home Run none August 22 12:20 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Australia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 United States 0 0 0 1 3 1 x 5 8 0 W: Lisa Fernandez (3-0) L: Melanie Roche (3-1) Home Run USA: K. Kretschman in 6th, 1 RBI Bronze Medal game August 22 17:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Australia 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 4 0 Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 W: Tanya Harding (4-0) L: Juri Takayama (1-2) Home Run none Gold Medal Game August 23 16:00 Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Australia 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 1 United States 3 0 2 0 0 0 x 5 9 0 W: Lisa Fernandez (4-0) L: Tanya Harding (4-1) Home Run USA : C.Bustos in 1st, 2 RBI; C.Bustos in 3rd, 1 RBI; S.Nuveman in 3rd, 1 RBI External links Complete schedule Softball at the Summer Olympics 1996 • 2000 • 2004 • 2008 List of medalists Events at the 2004 Summer Olympics (Athens) Archery • Athletics • Badminton • Baseball • Basketball • Boxing • Canoeing • Cycling • Diving • Equestrian • Fencing • Football • Gymnastics • Handball • Hockey • Judo • Modern pentathlon • Rowing • Sailing • Shooting • Softball • Swimming • Synchronized swimming • Table tennis • Taekwondo • Tennis • Triathlon • Volleyball • Water polo • Weightlifting • Wheelchair racing (demonstration) • Wrestling