American Osterman no-hits Australia in softball

Last Updated: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 | 5:39 AM ET

CBC Sports

Cat Osterman, rear, greets teammates after pitching a no-hitter against Australia in an opening-round softball game at the 2008 Beijing Games on Wednesday. (Elaine Thompson/Associated Press)

Cat Osterman pitched a no-hitter to help extend the U.S. softball team's winning streak to 16 games following a 3-0 victory over Australia on Wednesday at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Crystl Bustos cushioned a one-run lead for the U.S. in the sixth inning by hitting a two-run homer over the wall at Fengtai Softball Field.

Osterman struck out 13 Australian batters for the Americans, who are looking to win their fourth straight Olympic gold medal.

"It's good to get a game like this under our belts," Osterman said. "It's good to have your backs against the wall every now and then. It shows how we keep fighting.

"We're not just going to let down because another team is competing with us."

Tanya Harding, who's helped hand the U.S. team two of its four losses in the games since 1996, was locked in a pitchers' duel with Osterman for four innings before the Americans struck in the fifth.

After American second baseman Lovieanne Jung drew a one-out walk, she proceeded to put herself in scoring position by stealing second base. Natasha Watley then stepped up and battled Watley to a full count before hitting a single to left-centre that plated Watley without a throw.

In the following inning, Jessica Mendoza drew a leadoff walk for the U.S., which set the table for Bustos' two-run shot over the wall in right field.

"She's a beast when it comes to hitting," Osterman said of Bustos. "You can throw her outside and she can beat you. You can throw it inside and she can beat you. You can throw it in the dirt and she can golf it. You can throw it 10 feet over her head and she can tomahawk it.

"We all kind of laugh because she can do almost anything that she wants."

It was more than enough of a lead for Osterman, who ended the game in style by striking out the side to give the Americans their 14th shutout during the winning streak.

The U.S. has won gold at every Olympic Games since the event was introduced in 1996, but the Beijing Games could be the team's final shot at topping the podium for the foreseeable future as softball is not part of the Olympic program for the 2012 Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted in 2005 to drop softball and baseball from the Games after Beijing, making them the first sports cut from the Olympic program in 69 years.

In other softball action on Wednesday, the hosts from China easily defeated Venezuela 7-1,

Five separate players earned RBIs in the win for China, with shortstop Li Chunxia and third baseman Tan Ying each collecting a pair.

Pitcher Lu Wei earned the win for China, allowing one earned run on six hits with one strikeout and no walks in 3 2/3 innings of work. Yu Huili replaced Lu in the fourth inning and pitched 3 1/3 innings of shutout softball to secure the win for China, the fourth-ranked nation in the event.

Canada faces the Netherlands as it continues its quest to make the top-four medal round. The Canadians will face the U.S. on Thursday.