Japan beats Team USA, Cat Osterman for gold medal in softball’s return to Olympics

Softball was back in the Olympics but Team USA was unable to secure the gold medal, losing to Japan in the gold medal game.

Cat Osterman came out of retirement with the hopes of leading Team USA to a gold medal as softball made a triumphant return to the 2021 Olympics. Unfortunately, for Osterman and Team USA and their fans, there just wasn’t enough offense to lead the team to a gold medal.

Team USA did win the silver medal after losing 2-0 to Japan who took home the gold just as they did in the 2008 games in Beijing.

That loss was a stunning upset for Team USA who had some members left in tears. This year’s loss was just as much of an upset for the Americans who won gold in softball in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Team USA wins silver medal in softball, Japan takes gold

Team USA was only able to muster nine runs in the six games they played, putting too much stress on the arms of Osterman and Monica Abbott, the two holdovers from the last gold medal team.

https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1420007287855452199

Osterman and Abbott couldn’t outduel Japan’s 39-year-old Yukiko Ueno who took a one-hitter into the sixth inning. She and Miu Goto combined to limit Team USA to three hits.

Team USA just couldn’t get many offensive chances to put pressure on the Japan pitchers to mount a rally. That was the story of the Olympics for Team USA. While winning the silver medal is an accomplishment to be extremely proud of, it has to sting knowing the pitching was gold-medal-worthy but the bats went quiet on the biggest stage.

It was great to have softball return to the Olympics after they were removed after 2008, and waiting an extra year due to the COVID pandemic made it an even longer test of patience and endurance. What is important to remember is to never give up chasing your dream as Osterman reiterated after winning silver.

Cat Osterman, Monica Abbott go out as all-time Olympic softball greats

Unfortunately, softball will not be part of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. There is some hope softball will be announced as a sport for the Los Angeles games in 2028 and for the Brisbane games in 2032. Osterman and Abbott won’t be a part of those teams and for many of the other countries competing in softball, it’ll be a new era with many of the best performers at the Tokyo games likely aging out.