US softball team rocks Venezuela 11-0

BEIJING (AP) The U.S. softball team opened its bid for a fourth straight Olympic gold medal in record-breaking fashion with an 11-0 rout of Venezuela in its tournament opener on Tuesday.

Jennie Finch pitched four no-hit innings, Andrea Duran drove in three runs, Natasha Watley hit a two-run homer, Crystl Bustos hit a solo shot and Caitlin Lowe added an inside-the-parker as the U.S. set an Olympic record for runs in a game.

And they did it in just five innings before the game was halted by the run-rule.

It was a dominant performance like the ones the U.S. team strung together at the Athens Games in 2004.

"We were so amped up when we got here," Bustos said. "We couldn't wait to get this started. We're sick of practice."

Four years ago in Greece, the U.S. obliterated the tournament field, outscoring the other seven teams 51-1 to win their third consecutive gold medal. The Americans were hailed as "The Real Dream Team" after the U.S. men's basketball team fell flat on its high-profiled face and went home with a bronze.

With 10 players back from the '04 squad, the U.S. is expected to roll again.

However, the road to gold is paved with potential potholes as Japan, Australia, China and Canada all have enough talent to hang in with the Americans.

Things should get much tougher for the U.S. on Wednesday when it faces longtime nemesis Australia. It will be a rematch of the gold-medal game in Athens, which the U.S. won 5-1.

In the tournament opener, Canada defeated Taiwan 6-1. Laura Bay Regula allowed just one hit in five innings and Megan Timpf drove in three runs for the Canadians, who scored just six runs while finishing fifth in '04.

China had a strong debut, getting a three-run homer from Zhang Lifang in a 10-2 win over the Netherlands. And in the first day's finale, Satoko Mabuchi hit a three-run homer and Japan got a complete game from ace Yukiko Ueno in a 4-3 win over Australia.

The Americans threatened in their first at-bat, but after putting two runners on with none out, the U.S. couldn't push a run across against Johana Gomez.

It's safe to say she's never seen a lineup like this one, and the U.S. displayed its top-to-bottom depth and speed while scoring four runs in the second.

Duran was hit by a pitch leading off and raced to third on Stacey Nuveman's single. Lovieanne Jung followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.

One out later, Watley drilled a two-run homer to center field and as she rounded the bases, her teammates danced out of the dugout to welcome her at home plate. Moments later, they were back on the field.

Lowe reached out and poked a lazy fly that left fielder Rubilena Rojas misjudged and sailed over her head. Rojas stumbled and fell while trying to track it down, and by the time she got to the ball, the lightning-fast Lowe was nearly crossing the plate.

The U.S. added two runs in the third, highlighted by Bustos' homer.

Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.