SOFTBALL

U.S. POSTS FOURTH STRAIGHT SHUTOUT
Lori Harrigan allowed only a first inning bunt single and Crystl Bustos homered yesterday as the United States blanked China, 4-0, posting its fourth straight shutout of the games.

Harrigan struck out eight, Lovieanne Jung had two RBI, and Leah O’Brien-Amico drove in a run as the Americans ran their winning streak to 74 games and their international record against China to 10-1.The United States has outscored its opponents 24-0 in the preliminary round of the tournament.

Also yesterday, Lauren Bay pitched a shutout and Jackie Lance scored in the eighth inning on an error as Canada beat Japan, 1-0.

TRACK AND FIELD

BAN ON EDWARDS UPHELD
American sprinter Torri Edwards was knocked out of the Olympics for good yesterday when an arbitration panel upheld her two-year drug suspension, saying she should have known tablets provided by her doctor contained a banned substance.

Edwards had been considered a medal contender in the 100 and 200 meters at the Athens Games. At the U.S. Olympic trials, Edwards finished second in the 100 and third in the 200. Her spot in the 100 will go to Gail Devers, who finished fourth at the trials. Her spot in the 200 will go to LaShaunte’a Moore.

Edwards tested positive for the stimulant nikethamide at a meet in Martinique on April 24, but blamed the result on two glucose tablets she took because she wasn’t feeling well. She said her team’s physical therapist bought the glucose at a store on the Caribbean island, and that she was unaware it contained any banned substances.

BASKETBALL

LITHUANIA BEATS PUERTO RICO
Ramunas Siskauskas scored 23 points to lead Lithuania past Puerto Rico,98-90. Carlos Arroyo scored 25 points for Puerto Rico, which upset the Americans in its opener.

Yao Ming bounced back from a rough opening game with 39 points and 13 rebounds to lead China over New Zealand, 69-62. The 7-foot-6 center from the Houston Rockets had just 12 points in an opening loss to Spain, but took over from the start against New Zealand, finishing 15-for-20 from the field.

Also yesterday, Australia led 45-29 at halftime and cruised past Angola,83-59, behind Shane Heal’s 18 points.

SOCCER

AUSTRALIANS HOLD U.S. WOMEN TO TIE
The American women’s soccer team tied Australia, 1-1, ending a perfect record against the Matildas that lasted 17 years. But the result was good enough to clinch first-place in the U.S. group, setting up a quarterfinal match against Japan on Friday.

The Americans dominated the first half, taking the lead on Kristine Lilly’s goal in the 19th minute. Australia didn’t have a shot on goal in the first 60 minutes, but Joanne Peters finally scored the tying goal in the 82nd minute, achieving a result that broke a 15-game Aussie losing streak to the U.S. dating to the teams’ first meeting in 1987.

MEXICO ELIMINATED DESPITE WIN
Mexico beat Greece, 3-2, in an action packed and acrimonious game, only to discover that the other group game had finished in a 3-3 tie between Mali and South Korea, eliminating them.

Mexico finished with four points and Greece one – a sad ending for the host after its senior team won Euro 2004 six weeks ago. But the tie in Thessaloniki gave Mali and Korea five points each.

Argentina’s 1-0 shutout of Australia, on Andres D’Allesandro’s goal in the ninth minute, was the team’s third in a row.

BASEBALL

CANADA REMAINS UNDEFEATED
Peter Orr, Pete Laforest, and Stubby Clapp each homered to lead Canada past the Netherlands, 7-0. Canada has outscored its opponents 23-3 and is 3-0 in the eight-team competition.

Also yesterday, Taiwan scored five times in the seventh to break open the game and cruise past Greece, 7-1.

WATER POLO

WIGO LEADS AMERICANS OVER KAZAKHSTAN
Wolf Wigo scored four goals as the United States rallied for a 9-6 win over Kazakhstan. The Americans improved to 2-0, including a last-second 7-6 win over Croatia in their opener. Sergey Drozdov scored three goals, twice giving Kazakhstan the lead in the first period and then adding a third as the game wound down.

SHOOTING

AL MAKTOUM TIES OLYMPIC RECORD IN DOUBLE TRAP
Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates tied an Olympic record, easily winning the gold medal in men’s double trap. Al Maktoum scored 189 points, finishing 10 shots ahead of Rajyavardhan Rathore of India.

Mikhail Nestruev of Russia won the gold medal in 50-meter pistol.

BADMINTON

TOP SEEDS TUMBLE IN MEN’S SINGLES
Malaysia’s Wong Choong Hann, Chona’s Bao Chunlai, and Korea’s Lee Hyun Il, the number three, four, and five seeds, were all casualties yesterday.

The top seed left in the quarterfinals is China’s Chen Hong, who survived his second three set match in two days, in beating Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei 15-11, 3-15, 15-12. Peter Gade of Denmark, Shon Seung Mo of Korea, and Soni Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia were the other seeds to make it through to the quarterfinals.

In the men’s doubles quarterfinals, Denmark’s Jens Eriksen played with Martin Lundgaard Hansen and knocked out the no. 2 seeds, Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun of China, 3-15, 15-11, 15-8.

ROWING

AMERICANS ADVANCE
American single sculler Jennifer Devine advanced to the semifinals by finishing second in a preliminary. Devine broke out in front early and led at 500 meters, but was caught at the finish by Sweden’s Frida Svensson.

The Harvard-MIT tandem of Steve Tucker and Greg Ruckman rowed into a semifinal in the men’s lightweight double sculls, finishing behind the Japanese team. The U.S. men’s four also advanced to a semifinal; Lisa Schlenker and Stacey Borgman advanced to the lightweight double scull semifinals.

ARCHERY

SECOND SEED, WORLD CHAMP ELIMINATED
Americans Jennifer Nichols and Vic Wunderle advanced to the quarterfinals of the Olympic archery tournament. Nichols beat Tetyana Berezhna of Ukraine 163-160, rallying with two 10’s in her final three shots. Wunderle, the no. 43 seed, upset no. 11 Ming Huang Liu of Taiwan 164-160. Second-seeded Magnus Petersson of Sweden and world champion Michele Frangilli of Italy were both eliminated.

– Associated Press