BEIJING, China --- With just two days before competition, the USA Softball team has had an eventful past couple of days in China. Back-to-back visits from President Bush and participation in an Opening Ceremonies celebration that amazed the World, the team is enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime experience and ready to take the field on Tuesday against Venezuela atNoon/local time.

Beginning on 08/08/08, 13 members of the U.S. team participated in an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by participating in the Opening Ceremonies decked head to toe in their parade uniforms. With over 700 athletes, the evening began with mingling of the U.S. athletes before the former President Bush and current President Bush along with First Lady Laura Bush addressed the U.S. athletes.

"Meeting the Bush family was awesome," said Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.). "They have done great service for our country and it was so neat to see them out there supporting us. They are big supporters of Olympic sports and they definitely want to see softball in 2016."

  The cameras were flashing as members of the softball team were sending their well wishes to members of the U.S. Men's and Women's Basketball teams, tennis teams, track and field and volleyball. In fact, a challenge was offered up from LeBron James and Jason Kidd to try and hit off of Cat Osterman (Houston, Texas) and Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.). All in good fun, the laughs were exchanged and the 'The Challenge' date is To Be Determinedfollowing the Olympics.

The athletes paraded into the Bird's Nest(Track and Field Venue) representing the Red, White and Blue experiencing moments to last a lifetime.

"It was so amazing and wonderful to see the torch lit. There is nothing anything like it, it was so cool," said first-time Olympian Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.). "Meeting all the U.S. athletes before was incredible because we were all dressed the same as one team. Everyone was taking pictures, wishing good luck.. It was so neat to meet all the famous athletes."   Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) who missed the Opening Ceremonies in 2004 was equally thrilled at being a part of the event.

"What an amazing night. It was a lot of fun getting a chance before we lined up to mingle with the other U.S. Athletes in the delegation. Also meeting the President... Wow, just a crazy, crazy night. The best part was the guy running around the top with the images of the torch being shown. Being in the middle of the venue and watching the fireworks was an incredible feeling."

After the incredible evening, the U.S. returned to the field on Saturday afternoon for a noon practice to which the current President Bush stopped by for a visit.

"Seeing and talking with the President twice in two days is pretty exciting," said Finch "He came to practice and greeted our team and also called out our team huddle of "Who do you play for?...USA. Laura Berg, our prankster, pulled her classic chalk handprint and he was such a good sport. Wow, what an incredible past couple of days."

The President and his entourage watched the team warm up and he was impressed with the power of Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif.) as he gave her a high-five after batting practice.

The team was able to pose for a photo for the press who were in attendance as the President gave his remarks for the sport.   The president called the group "the gold medal champs," and said that softball should be returned to the Olympic program. "It's good for the world to have girls playing softball, and these women are going to show girls how to win," he said.

It was back to business once the President departed as the U.S. had an inner squad scrimmage before leaving practice at 2 p.m. The entire 15-member team then headed to the Main Press Center for a pre-competition press conference.

BEIJING, China -- The USA Softball team opened the 2008 Olympic Games making a statement breaking an Olympic record for most runs scored in a game by a single team and tying an Olympic record with three homeruns. The three-time defending Gold Medal winning team captured an 11-0 victory in five innings against Olympic rookie team Venezuela. Breaking its own previous record which was 10 runs from the 2004 Olympic Games, the U.S. used 11 hits including three home runs and a base clearing double to improve to a 15-game win Olympic win streak dating back to 2000.

"Today we were really excited to get on the field," said head coach Mike Candrea. "I was pleased with our outing and at bats and where we are right now. Jennie gave a really strong pitching performance from the circle and things were good. But in the Olympics there is no time to celebrate.... On to the next game."

With a combined no-hit performance from Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) and Monica Abbott (Salinas, Calif.), rookie Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) led the U.S. effort with a 3-for-4 debut with one RBI coming on a solo inside the park home run.

"Well I was happy that I got a good pitch," said Lowe when asked her thoughts on the home run. "Then once I rounded first base I saw coaching doing his wave thing and knew I was going to go all the way."

Along with Lowe, designated player Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif.) was 2-for-3 with one RBI while third base rookie Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.) was also 2-for-3 with a team leading three RBI.

Winning pitcher Finch tallied four hitless innings recording five strikeouts and allowed two walks.

The U.S. put its first runner of the Olympic Games into scoring position early. Natasha Watley (Irvine, Calif.) led the visiting team with a lead off walk before Lowe recorded her first hit of her Olympic career with a chopping shot to left field. With the speed of Watley now at second base, the U.S. threatened to score with its RBI leaders on deck. Jessica Mendoza (Camarillo, Calif.) recorded a flyout advancing Watley to third base but then back-to-back flyouts left the runners stranded.

Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.) was quickly on base in the top of the second inning after the ball brushed her right thigh placing her on first with a hit by pitch. Two-time Olympian Stacey Nuveman (La Verne, Calif.) then made her first at bat of the 2008 Games a memorable one with a base hit to right field pushing Duran to third base. Lovie Jung (Fountain Valley, Calif.) drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice flyout to right field plating Duran for the 1-0 lead.

The U.S. then padded their lead with power from the leadoff hitters. Watley connected on her first-ever Olympic home run with a two-run shot to left center before Lowe drove the ball just over the Venezuelan left fielder's head and legged out an inside-the-park home run for the 4-0 advantage.

The long ball struck once again in the top of the third inning when Olympic record holder for home runs with five, Crystl Bustos (Canyon Country, Calif.) belted the ball out to left field within three seconds with a straight shot over the 220 fences. Two-time Olympian Kelly Kretschman (Indian Harbour Springs, Fla.) was then hit by a pitch before Duran recorded her first ever Olympic base hit with a drive to left field. Nuveman then looked to knock in some RBI, but grounded into a double play with Duran out on the play. The U.S. then scored its sixth run on an error from the Venezuelan left fielder who dropped a routine pop up from Jung that plated Kretschman.

A pitching change from Venezuela bringing in Marianella Castellanos didn't phase the U.S. bats as they put five more runs on the board in the top of the fourth inning for an 11-0 eventual win. Lowe started the inning with a single to right field before a Mendoza hit-by-pitch put two runners on with no outs. Bustos then drove in her second hit of the game to load the bases for the Red, White and Blue. Castellanos continued to struggle issuing a walk to Kretschman that allowed Lowe to score. Four-time Olympian Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) then entered her fourth and final Olympic Games as a pinch runner for Kretschman. Duran then belted a base clearing double, the first of the game, scoring three runs before Jung roped in an RBI single for the fifth run of the game.

Yaicey Sojo was the only Venezuela player to reach base earning two walks off of Finch.

Up next the U.S. will battle a familiar foe in 2004 Olympic silver medal winning team Australia. The U.S. is 20-7 overall against Australia in major international competition (Olympics, World Championships, and World Cups). Game time is Noon on Wednesday, August 13.

Ouch.

Rau'Shee Warren

Here's where it hurts: Warren spent the last 30 seconds of the match dancing around the ringand away from Ok-sungbecause he thought he was winning. Instead, he was about the only one in the arena who didn't know the truth: He was losing 9-8 and needed to attack and try to get another point.

"It doesn't feel real," Warren told the AP afterward. "I didn't feel like I lost the fight, because I was fighting hard, doing everything the coaches were telling me. To get this far and then lose, I don't even know what happened."

Warren lost early in the 2004 Olympics, too, and avoided turning pro to get another shot at a gold medal. Instead, he had a devastating loss he may never get over.

Occasionally, the Olympics have heartbreaking moments like this. South Korea swimmer

Park Tae-hwan

Tae-hawn and Jansen redeemed themselves in future Olympics. Warren, now 21 with professional boxing in his future, probably won't have another chance to correct his mistake.

BEIJING (Aug. 12, 2008) -- The U.S. Men's Volleyball Team started out slow but picked up speed on Tuesday in its 24-26, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21 victory over Italy in an Olympic pool play match at the Capital Indoor Stadium.

In their second Olympic match without U.S. Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon who is still tending to his wife and mother-in-law at a Beijing hospital, the U.S. Men improve their record to 2-0 in Pool A. They will play Bulgaria (1-0 prior to its match against Japan on Tuesday) at 10 p.m. on Thursday at Capital Indoor Stadium.

Clay Stanley (Honolulu, Hawai'i) led Team USA with 23 points on a match-high 19 kills, three blocks and one assist. Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) added 20 points on 18 kills, two blocks. Ryan Millar (Palmdale, Calif.) scored 12 points on seven kills, three blocks and two aces.

"Today's match had a lot to do with our serve and their serve receive," said U.S. Interim Head Coach Ron Larsen (Lafayette, Calif.). "It helped with our block."

Team USA finished with four aces and 15 blocks as opposed to Italy with three aces and nine blocks.

The U.S. Men completed 58 of 111 kill attempts for 36 percent efficiency. Italy completed 50 of 119 kill attempts for 24 percent.

"I think I was having difficulties in hitting," said Italy's Alessandro Fei, who finished with 11 points on nine kills and two aces. His teammate Hristo Zlatanov led Italy with 19 points on 16 kills and three blocks. "Of course the Americans played very well. So if you combine the two things together, this is the result."

Among other scorers, Riley Salmon (League City, Texas) scored 11 points on eight kills, two blocks and one ace. David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) totaled 10 points on five kills and a match-high five blocks. U.S. setter Lloy Ball (Fort Wayne, Ind.) had one point on one kill.

Ball was credited with 41 running sets for an average of 10.25 per set.

U.S. libero Rich Lambourne (Tustin, Calif.) was credited with 10 digs and three faults on 15 attempts. He was also credited with 25 "excellent" receptions on 33 attempts for a successful percentage of 76 percent.

Tom Hoff (Park Ridge, Ill.), Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, Calif.) and Scott Touzinsky (St. Louis, Mo.) all played as substitutes.

In the first set, Italy held an 8-6 lead at the first technical timeout and led 16-14 at the second. With the United States trailing 16-18, a block from Millar and an ace by Salmon tied the score. Italy reached set point first at 24-23, but then committed an error to tie the score. A Zlatanov gave Italy a second set point at 25-24 and Alessandro's ace ended the set.

"I thought we started the match waiting to see Italy's strategy," Hoff said. "After the first and second sets, our block was very efficient." After that our offense got going and felt comfortable knowing the block was going well."

The United States led the second set 8-5 at the first technical timeout and 16-14 at the second. Italy came close to tying the score at 22-21, but Salmon's kill kept it out of reach. Lee won the set for Team USA with a kill.

The third set seemed like it would be close at first as the U.S. held a slim 7-6 lead. However, it reached the first technical timeout first on an Italian error, then scored four straight points behind the serving of Salmon to lead 12-6. Team USA extended the lead to 16-8 at the second technical timeout. Zlatanov scored one point on a kill, and Team USA scored the next three to make it 20-9. Italy never recovered.

Team USA used three kills from Priddy along with kills from Millar, Stanley and Lee to take an 8-5 lead at the first technical timeout of the fourth set and led 16-12 at the second. The United States reached match point first at 24-19, but a Ball serving error brought Italy to 20 and Alberto Cisolla's kill made it 24-21 before Stanley ended the match with a kill.