Golden lining greets softball
20748
This gold medal comes with a broken heart. This victory - as dominant as the Olympic Games have seen in years from any sport, any team, any nation - comes with a searing sense of loss.
381744
Their dispositions were as sunny as the Florida day that greeted them, their outlook as bright as the immaculate red practice jerseys that hung in neat rows along the lockers. Pitchers, catchers and assorted other players reported for spring training at Space Coast Stadium on Tuesday, flush with relief and satisfaction that they are something new called the Washington Nationals.
472980
ATHENS -- America&#39;s gold-medal soccer players don&#39;t just say goodbye; they say hello. &quot;The thing I love,&quot; retiring captain Julie Foudy said, &quot;is that Tarpley and Wambach scored.
575517
ELMONT, N.Y. -- The ending had all the drama and excitement of a Hollywood script, and it left almost everyone smiling. It was the feel-good story of the year in a sport that desperately needed one.
695416
ATHENS, Greece - One more victory and U.S. softball team will have its goal: a third Olympic gold...
723140
Fourteen months after giving birth to her first child, Jennie Finch threw a three-hitter yesterday in her longest outing of the year as the United States advanced to the championship game of the World Cup of Softball with a 7-0 victory against Canada in Oklahoma City.Finch (1-0) struck out eight in six innings and extended her scoreless streak to 19 1/3 innings.âI havenât felt this good in a long time,â said Finch, whose son, Ace, was born in May 2006. âItâs been a long year of hard work in the weight room and on the field trying to get back.âThe United States (5-0) was the only team to make it through round-robin play undefeated. Canada still retained some hope of reaching the championship game but would need help from Japan (3-1), which was to play a late game last night against China (2-2).
750351
One more victory and U.S. softball team will have its goal: a third Olympic gold. Right now, the Americans aren't just a Dream Team &#151; they're more like the Perfect Team. Lisa Fernandez pitched a three-hitter Sunday and Crystl Bustos drove in two runs as the Americans rolled to their eighth shutout in eight days, 5-0 over Australia, putting them into the gold medal game.
614107
Alfonso Soriano did a little bit of everything after his Washington teammates showed their leadoff hitter how thrilled they are that he's sticking around.
639182
Australia skipper Ricky Ponting is delighted with his side's start to the Ashes after smashing his 32nd Test century at Brisbane.
424865
ATHENS, Greece - The U.S. softball team won its third straight gold medal with an unprecedented and nearly unblemished romp through the Olympics, capped by a 5-1 victory Monday over an Australian team that, like the rest of softball's elite, never had a chance...
670210
The Chicago Cubs got in a few good swings &#151; against the other team this time &#151; and capped a chaotic weekend on a much-needed positive note.
482002
Japan's Yukiko Ueno pitched the first  perfect game in Olympics history in a 2-0 softball win over  China Friday.
81048
The US softball team, unbeaten, unscored upon and almost unbelievable, rolled to its eighth consecutive shutout Sunday, 5-0 over Australia, and into the gold-medal game.
440042
BALDWIN HARBOR, N.Y. - Between them, they had more than 150 years of experience. But in the end, seniority might still have been an advantage when a 93-year-old pitcher took on an 86-year-old rival in a seniors' softball game.
609140
NORTON -- Truisms that resonated yesterday from a day of golf that could only make a true ball-striker smile:
649926
Atlanta -- Hammerin&#39; Hank Aaron was at the game. Boomin&#39; Barry Bonds was on his game. In the homers hub of the universe, the residence of the all-time champ, the past and future came together Sunday night
739887
Watching the joyful interaction of America's two medal-winning eights yesterday, it would have been easy to assume both were gold.