BINGenuity.com : a look at what’s on our minds at Bing DesignBINGenuity.com : a look at what’s on our minds at Bing Design » Softball

Bustos!

Melissa — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:40:44 +0000

Long story short… I had to walk to USA House to print some stuff out. And as I was leaving, Crystl Bustos from the USA Softball team was walking in. So cool!

Softball: USA Wins Again

Melissa — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:52:43 +0000

This morning I was lucky to get tickets to the USA-Japan softball game. And it was intense! My seat was next to Monica Abbot’s father which made it even more gut wrenching. (Monica Abbot pitched for the US in this game.)

Monica Abott pitched almost 9 complete innings in today's game vs. Japan. USA won 4-1.

Crystl Bustos solidified the US win with a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning.

The game was 0-0 after seven innings, so it went into softball’s version of overtime. Play continues, and the last batter out from the previous inning starts on second base to advance the offensive play.

Innings seven and eight remained scoreless, and then USA turned it on. Natasha Watley, who started on second base, motored around the field and scored on a hit by Caitlin Lowe. Then Crystl Bustos hit a home run, earning three more runs. The US crowd LOVES Bustos. They yell “BOOOOOOOOO-stus… BOOOOOOOOO-stus” when she’s up to bat.

This win advances Team USA into the gold-silver match-up and guarantees them a medal in the Games. The final softball game is on Thursday.

Go team!

Getty’s images of the game are online here.

Softball Photos

Melissa — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:53:19 +0000

A few more photos from softball are posted here. And yes, those photos were taken in Beijing! It was an unusually beautiful day. Probably the nicest I’ve experienced since I’ve been here.

I also threw in a photo that my roommate took at a recent ping pong tournament. Yes, ping pong is an Olympic sport – and the Chinese are crazy for it. Ping pong and badminton – they can’t get enough!

I’m going to the trampoline semifinals in the morning – more photos and stories to come!

Softball

Melissa — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:27:13 +0000

Fengtai Softball "Court" during Canada vs China on Friday, August 15. Canada won 1-0.

Team USA being introduced before the USA-Japan game on Friday, August 15. USA won the game 7-0.

This morning I was given last minute tickets to the China-Canada softball game, and was able to stick around for the first inning of the USA-Japan softball game. The match-ups were great – and especially fun because I was with two Canadians and another American.

China-Canada didn’t get exciting until the seventh inning, when Canada won by an in-the-park home run.

The first inning of USA-Japan started off strong. The USA women were first at bat and it went something like: home run, double, home run, double, double… The first inning ended 4-0 and then we had to leave. Turns out the game ended 7-0 after five innings. Go team!

The US girls had to play again about 45 minutes later. At the time of this post, they were losing to Canada 1-0 in the fifth inning.

I’m downloading photos from the games now, and will post them later. After I take a nap!

UPDATE:
The softball team kicked it up in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring four runs in each. They defeated Canada 8-1. Whew!