WOMEN'S PROGRAM HISTORY
The USA Softball Women’s National Team is the most decorated program in the sport’s history. Team USA won three consecutive Olympic Gold Medals (1996, 2000, 2004) and a silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games. The Women’s National Team has captured eight Pan American Championships and have captured 10 WBSC World Championship Gold Medals.
AT THE PAN AMERICAN GAMES
Since softball was introduced into the Pan American Games in 1979, the USA Softball Women's National Team has dominated, winning eight Gold Medals and a two Silver Medals.
The U.S. will look to reclaim the Gold Medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima Peru after falling to Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Red, White and Blue was upset in a shocking 4-2, extra inning loss.
In 10 Pan American Games, the USA Softball Women's National Team has been nothing short of outstanding. The USA has won 91 of 95 games for a winning percentage of .958. Team USA has outscored their opponents 661 to 49.
AT THE WBSC WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The USA Softball Women’s National Team has participated in 15 WBSC Women’s World Championships and has finished out of the medals only once, the 1982 World Championships in Chinese Taipei. It took Australia, Chinese Taipei and an outbreak of stomach flu to make it happen.
The USA Softball Women’s National Team program has brought home a total of 10 Gold Medals,making them perhaps the most successful team sport on the Olympic program over the last three decades. They have also collected four Silver World Championship Medals
In World Championship play, the USA has amassed a lifetime record of 142-13.
AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
The U.S. went 8-1 to capture the first ever gold medal at the 1996 Olympics. The U.S. defeated China 3-1 in the gold medal game. Its lone loss of the Games came to Australia (2-1) in round-robin play.
At the 2000 Olympics the U.S. had its 112 game win streak snapped with a 2-1 11 inning loss to Japan in round-robin play. The U.S. proceeded to lose two more games (2-0 to China and 2-1 to Australia). It was the first time in the history of USA Softball that a Women’s National Team lost three games in a row.
The U.S. rebounded to win five consecutive games including wins in the playoffs over China (3-0 in 10 innings), Australia (1-0) and Japan (2-1 in eight innings) in the gold medal game to capture its second consecutive gold medal.
In Athens at the 2004 Olympic Games, the U.S. Women’s National Team was anointed as the “Real Dream Team” by Sports Illustrated. The performance by the U.S. Olympic Softball Team will go down in history as one of the most dominant ever. The U.S. squad led by Mike Candrea was considered the best women’s softball team ever assembled and possibly the most dominant Olympic team of any sport. With its perfect 9-0 record and its string of eight consecutive shutouts, this team proved it was indeed something ‘Special’. The U.S. outscored its opponents 51-1 in nine games and did not allow a run until the sixth inning of its final game.
The team’s domination is well documented in the record books as the U.S. set 11 different Olympic records during the 2004 Olympics. Below are the Olympic Records Broken by Team USA during the 2004 Olympic Games:
OLYMPIC RECORDS BROKEN
Most Doubles: 11- USA (2004)
Previous was 10-Australia (1996)
Most Triples: 4- USA (2004)
Previous was 2- Japan (1996)
Most Runs Batted In: 46- USA (2004)
Previous was 32- USA (1996)
Most Runs Scored: 51- USA (2004)
Previous was 41- USA (1996)
Fewest Runs Allowed: 1- USA (2004
Previous was 7- Australia, China and USA (2000)
Most Stolen Bases: 8- USA (2004)
Previous was 7- Japan (2000)
Most Shutouts: 8- USA (2004)
Previous was 5- USA & China (2000)
Most Stolen Bases: 5- USA, Natasha Watley (2004)
Previous was 3, Jackie Smith, N. Z. (2000)
Most Consecutive Victories: 9- USA (2004)
Previous was 8, Japan (2000)
Highest Team Batting average: .343 USA (2004)
Previous was .296- USA (1996)
Highest Slugging %: .559 USA (2004)
Previous was .465- JAPAN (1996)
Most Hits: 73 USA (2004)
Previous was 70- USA (1996)
Lowest Earned Run Average: 0.12 USA (2004)
Previous was 0.25- USA (2000)
Batting Average: Lisa Fernandez .545 USA, (2004)
Previous was .524 (Chika Kodama, Japan (1996)
Most Home Runs: 5, Crystl Bustos USA (2004)
Previous was 4, Haruka Saito, Japan (1996) & Peta Edebone, Australia (2000)
Most Runs Batted In: Crystl Bustos, 10 (2004
Previous was 9, Shelia Cornell, USA (1996)
Most Runs Scored: 9, Crystl Bustos, 9 (2004) Tied
Chanfung Zhang, China (’96)
Most Wins: 9 – USA (2004)
Previous was 8 – USA (1996) & JAPAN (2000)
