” Today was about today,” she said. Its the same video game Ive constantly played,” said Moultrie, a 31-year-old outfielder who joined the national group in 2011.” Its kind of sad that there cant be any viewers, particularly no foreign spectators,” Abbott said.” We trained in Midland, Texas, where the grass was 150 degrees,” U.S. coach Ken Eriksen said. 08 we didnt have a bad competition,” Osterman said.

FUKUSHIMA, Japan– Cat Osterman looked ahead, not behind, in the start of the United States mission to gain back the Olympic softball gold medal, 13 years after she lost the championship game.A 38-year-old left-hander and one of two remaining players from 2008, Osterman pitched one-hit ball over 6 innings and set out nine to beat Italy 2-0 on Wednesday in searing heat and wilting humidity as the Olympics got underway.” Today was about today,” she said. “If I use 08 as motivation, then Im selfish. This is not about me. This is not about a silver medal that happened. This is about this team and permitting these professional athletes that are younger than me to be able to live out an Olympic dream and ideally get to that leading step on the podium. Today was totally about how are we going to beat Italy and how am I going to assist this team get begun.” Michelle Moultrie singled in a run in the fourth inning for the top-ranked U.S., which lost the title to Japan 3-1 at the 2008 Beijing Games. Janie Reed included a sacrifice fly in the 5th.” Theres a lot that goes on with simply attempting to get into a groove of, Ive always done this. Its the very same video game Ive constantly played,” said Moultrie, a 31-year-old outfielder who joined the national group in 2011. Michelle Moultrie, left, and Cat Osterman helped the United States to a 2-0 win over Italy on Wednesday, as the Americans started their quest to gain back the Olympic softball gold medal. Yuichi Masuda/Getty ImagesOsterman walked none, hit 2 batters and provided up her only hit to Andrea Filler for a single leading off the fourth. The last staying player from the 2004 gold medalists and pitching 2 1/2 months prior to her desired retirement, Osterman improved to 6-1 in Olympic have fun with 66 strikeouts in 38 innings.” The body doesnt recover as quick,” she stated. “Coachie likes to remind me often Im not as flexible, so I have to change my pitches a bit. I believe the most significant thing is my mentality and my competitiveness has actually stayed the very same.” Monica Abbott, a 35-year-old lefty who eased in the 2008 gold-medal video game, started out the side in the seventh for the conserve. She may start Thursday mornings video game versus Canada, part of a whole Olympics played with no fans.” Its sort of sad that there cant be any spectators, particularly no foreign viewers,” Abbott stated. “This is an occasion that doesnt occur all the time, so its frustrating not to have individuals in the stands– however likewise not having Japanese fans when Japan is such a softball-loving nation.” 2 RelatedPlayers sweated off pounds on the synthetic grass.” We trained in Midland, Texas, where the grass was 150 degrees,” U.S. coach Ken Eriksen said. “So were gotten ready for Fukushima at 145 degrees.” Greta Cecchetti, a former pitcher for Texas A&M Corpus Christi, enabled two runs and four hits in four-plus innings for Italy while getting the loss.Valerie Arioto led off the 4th with an infield struck up the middle, beating the toss from 2nd baseman Filler. Ali Aguilar compromised, and Moultrie grounded a single previous Filler and into ideal field, sending Arioto moving across the plate.Alexia Lacatena, an 18-year-old from Stanhope, New Jersey, who will pitch for the University of Kentucky next spring, eliminated for Italy and enabled a sacrifice fly to Reed.Italys last nine batters were retired in order.” 08 we didnt have a bad tournament,” Osterman said. “We simply had a game that didnt go our method.”