U.S. softball team blanks another foe

By STEVE RIVERA

Gannett News Service

HELLINIKO, Greece - If there is one message Mike Candrea has stressed with his USA softball team, it's to be aggressive.

``That's the key for us. We're going to try and play an aggressive game of softball,'' said Candrea. ``We're not going to sit and wait. When you try to move the defense a lot of things can happen.''

Tuesday morning Team USA was once again at its best, mixing its much-talked about short game (singles and walks) with speed and power to take an early lead en route to a 4-0 victory over China at Helliniko Stadium. By the time China settled in, it trailed 3-0 after two innings.

``And we haven't put the whole process together,'' said USA third baseman Crystal Bustos, who broke out of a 1-for-8 slump with a towering home run over the left-field fence.

Candrea figured it would only be time before Bustos, the team's best power hitter, came around.

``If she's 0 for 8, then you'd better look out, she'll get on a roll,'' Candrea said.

Team USA improved to 4-0 in pool play.

Starting pitcher Lori Harrigan pitched a complete-game one-hitter, retiring 16 consecutive batters after surrendering a single to China's first batter. She struck out eight and didn't allow a batter to reach second in recording Team USA's fourth consecutive shutout, improving upon her 1 1/3 innings against Italy, when she gave up three hits.

``It felt a lot better today because I did have such a shaky start against Italy,'' Harrigan said. ``I was going out there trying to be too perfect. My ball was kind of flat. But my focus (Tuesday) was to make the ball move. And that's what I did.''

She eased into a groove after Team USA scored two runs in the first inning and one in the second.

Leadoff hitter Natasha Watley reached on an error and moved to second on Leah Amico-O'Brien's groundout to short. After Jenny Topping walked, Lovieanne Jung singled in Watley and pinch-runner Kelly Kretschman.

``As a pitcher, when you have a couple of runs you can get a little bit more relaxed,'' Harrigan said. ``I'd rather face the other team's lineup than ours. Sometimes I feel sorry for the other pitchers because they've got to face them.''

China coach Shan McDonald, who coached Harrigan at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, knew China's chances weren't good against her former pitcher.

``She's just gotten better and better with the maturity,'' McDonald said. ``She did a great job. She spotted the ball, and her movement was good. She had control of our hitters. I'm proud of her performance, but I would have liked to come out ahead.''