Two of the greatest softball pitchers of all time faced off in the final softball game of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games: Tanya Harding and Lisa Fernandez. The game was played on 23 August at the 4,800-seat Olympic Softball stadium in the Helliniko Olympic Complex.
It was the third meeting between Australia and USA in Athens. USA beat Australia, 10-0, in the Opening Round, and then shut out the Aussies, 5-0, in semi-finals. Fernandez dominated Australia in both contests, shutting out Australia for 12 innings while allowing only 4 hits.
Both Harding and Fernandez carried a 0.00 ERA to begin the Gold Medal Game. The US right hander started the final with a 3-0 record after 17 innings pitched, surrendering only 5 hits and 3 walks. Harding led Australia with a 4-0 record, pitching 33 innings while allowing 10 hits, 4 walks and getting 17 strikeouts.
The day before the final, Harding tossed a complete game shutout against Japan to lead Australia into their first-ever Olympic final. Kerry Wyborn plated the only three runs of the game with a double in the top of the fifth to lift Australia past Japan.
A total of 120 players from Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Greece, Italy, Japan and USA gathered in Athens, the cradle of the Olympic Games, for the third-ever Olympic softball competition.
Tomorrow's Olympic Rewind game, presented in collaboration with the Olympic Channel, will showcase the Beijing 2008 Gold Medal Game between USA and Japan.
OLYMPIC REWIND - Softball
OLYMPIC REWIND - Baseball
- 29/7 Barcelona 1992 - Opening Round: USA v Spain
- 30/7 Barcelona 1992 - Gold Medal Game: Cuba v Chinese Taipei
- 31/7 Atlanta 1996 - Opening Round: Italy v Korea
- 01/8 Atlanta 1996 - Gold Medal Game: Cuba v Japan
- 02/8 Sydney 2000 - Opening Round: Netherlands v Cuba
- 03/8 Sydney 2000 - Gold Medal Game: Cuba v USA
- 04/8 Athens 2004 - Semi Final: Australia v Japan
