TOKYO — The United States softball team, behind the pitching of the ageless Cat Osterman, defeated a tenacious Italy team, 2-0, as softball returned to the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
Earlier, Japan, another contender for gold, got the Olympics started with a 8-1 win over Australia.
Osterman, 38, who won a gold medal in 2004 and a silver in 2008, came out of retirement for these Games. She threw six of the seven innings, giving up just one hit and striking out nine.
Monica Abbott pitched the seventh and final inning for the United States and struck out the side.