=== U.S. softball no-hit through seven, but rallies to beat Japan ===

Athens, Greece (My Sportsbook) - It took eight innings, but the United States softball team was finally able to get something going.

Cat Osterman pitched a shutout, fanning 11 hitters and outdueling Japan's Juri Takayama to keep the U.S. undefeated at the Athens Games with a 3-0 extra- inning victory on Monday.

Takayama (0-1) carried a no-hitter through seven innings, but things fell apart for her in the eighth.

As per extra-inning softball rules, the U.S. started with a baserunner on second base. Stacey Nuveman led off with a bunt that moved Amanda Freed to third, and Lovieanne Jung followed with a walk after a long at-bat spent fouling off pitch after pitch from Takayama.

Jung only walked after Japanese third baseman Reika Utsugi, fighting the strong sun, failed to catch an easy foul pop-up.

Next up was Kelly Kretschman, making her first Olympic plate appearance. Kretschman lofted a sacrifice fly into center field that scored Freed easily from third base, finally giving the Americans the lead.

But Takayama's no-hitter wasn't broken up until Jessica Mendoza drove a single up the middle and over the pitcher's glove to put runners at first and second base. Jenny Topping followed with a pinch-hit single through the right side that scored Jung, and leadoff hitter Natasha Watley made it 3-0 with an RBI bunt single on the next pitch.

Osterman (1-0) then retired the side in the bottom of the eighth to end the game.

"I feel good," she said afterwards. "Japan is a great team, obviously, it's number two in the world. I just tried to keep us in the game as long as I could. I was a bit shaky before the game, but it was a matter of time to get my groove."

The Americans have shutout all three of their opponents here so far, this after beating Italy and Australia by a combined 17-0 score in their first two games. Both those contests were ended short because of the Olympic mercy rule.

They have won 73 games in a row dating back to last summer, and have posted 13 shutouts in 22 Olympic games as a team.

The Americans had a 112-game winning streak heading into the 2000 Games in Sydney, but lost three consecutive games to Japan, Australia and China. Their all-time Olympic record is now 18-4.

In the first softball game of the day, China rallied for a 4-2 victory over Canada by scoring four times in the sixth inning.

Australia beat Taiwan 1-0 behind a two-hit shutout from Tanya Harding. There was controversy surrounding the game's only run as Aussie Kerry Wyborn ran into shortstop Ya Fen Wang as she tried to field a ground ball. The Chinese coaching staff was unsuccessful in trying to overturn the call following a protest.

Greece outlasted Italy 2-1 as Sarah Farnsworth pitched a complete game and bunted in a run.