U.S. Women’s Softball Finds Unity In Loss To Japan

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Shaun with USA women’s softball
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FIRST PUBLISHED: August 22, 2008 5:46 AM EDT
LAST UPDATED: August 22, 2008 7:53 AM EDT

By Whitney Frink & Jeremy Blacklow

BEIJING, China --

The U.S. women’s softball team struggled to find a silver lining to the silver medal earned Thursday night in Beijing, especially since this was the last year of Olympic softball. One theory as to why the sport was voted out of the 2012 Olympics — that team U.S.A. has been too dominant, almost never losing.

Ironic now, as Japan ended up celebrating the 2008 gold.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson asked the team on Friday. “I know it was a devastating loss for you ladies.”

“Wearing this uniform, you’re used to winning,” star pitcher Jennie Finch responded. “That’s why — that’s why we did it. But you know in the end, yes, we have a silver medal and a lot of people would dream about that.”

“I’m not happy with the way we ended up,” slugger Crystal Bustos chimed in. “And I’m not happy that this is how my career is going to end.”

“I’m wondering does this loss actually do something good for the sport?” Shaun asked.

“If this one game makes or breaks the vote,” Cat Osterman said. “I mean, then I guess ‘great’ if it gets back in. But for us, I think it’s hard to say that we’re happy that it got back in because we lost at any point in time.

Despite Team U.S.A.‘s sadness, in a show of unity, all three medaling teams kept the focus on the game.

“A bunch of us got together with the Australians and the Japanese players and we spelled out with softballs – ‘2016’” Jessica Mendoza recounted. “There was a moment there where, yes, I was feeling like super down, but I was like holding hands with an Australian and a Japanese player and we were yelling out, ‘Back softball, and ‘Get it back,’ and it was beautiful.”

And while they left their shoes on the field as a symbol of retirement — for now… the team will continue to be role models to many young women back home in America.

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