Team USA celebrates after beating Italy.Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images
Softball superstar Cat Ostermanjust proved why she’s a force to be reckoned with — even years after her retirement.
Amanda Chidester, Haylie McCleney, Valerie Arioto, Michelle Moultrie and Aubree Munro all had hits for the U.S.
Italy didn’t go down easily, though, with both teams hitless until the bottom of the fourth inning.
Listen below toour daily podcast PEOPLE Every Dayfor more on the Olympics.
“I think it was really good for us to get a good game under our belt. We knew Italy was gonna be scrappy. They’re probably one of the most cohesive groups in this tournament,” McCleney told reporters afterward. “They play like a family, and we knew they were gonna give us a tough game.”
She added: “I’m excited to see how our bats catch fire later on in the tournament.”
Next up, the softball team will face Canada at the Fukushima Azuma Baseball stadium in their quest for a gold medal.
Team USA celebrates after beating Italy.The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images
Osterman actually announced her retirement from softball in 2015, but returned to the Olympic team to tend to some “unfinished business,“she told PEOPLE earlier this year.
RELATED VIDEO: Ralph Lauren Unveils Team USA Opening Ceremony Olympic Uniforms, with Help from Surfer Caroline Marks
“I feel like I was born and raised in this program, getting in at such a young age of 18,” Osterman told PEOPLE. “I felt like I needed to come do my job as a veteran and come back and help them navigate the journey to a gold medal.”
Speaking with reporters after the win against Italy, Osterman said: “The break was probably a good thing to give my body a little bit of downtime. Another big thing is I’ve had to remember what made me effective. It’s not always necessarily throwing balls into the strike zone. It’s also about getting them to chase and swing and setting those pitches up. So, there may have been parts that I had to relearn, but my competitiveness is what keeps me going.”
After the strong performance in Wednesday’s game, teammate McCleney praised Osterman: “She is experienced and she is our rock.”
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Tokyo Olympics beginning July 23rd and the Tokyo Paralympics beginning August 24th on NBC.
source: people.com
