U.S. fires no-hitter at Canada

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 17, 2000

BLACKTOWN, Australia -- It's tough to improve on the 0.00 ERA that Lori Harrigan posted in the 1996 Atlanta Games, but she did it in this Games' opener.

Harrigan pitched the first solo no-hitter in Olympic history Saturday to begin the Americans' gold-medal defense with a 6-0 victory over Canada.

"Once "Vegas' threw that first pitch, it was showtime," said Dot Richardson, who homered along with Crystl Bustos and Jennifer Brundage. "Lori Harrigan did a great job -- in the first game of the Olympics. There was a lot of pressure on her because of that."

Harrigan fumbled a grounder in the first inning, though the error was charged to first baseman Sheila Douty. She then retired 20 consecutive batters. Only four batters hit the ball out of the infield.

"I gave up the perfect game," said Harrigan, who is breaking in a new glove. "So I don't have to blame it on anybody."

Two Chinese pitchers combined on a no-hitter in 1996, when softball was added as an Olympic sport.

Harrigan's ERA in that tournament was tied for tops on the U.S. team. She is considered the third- or fourth-best pitcher on this team. And she is less accomplished than ace Lisa Fernandez, who pitched five consecutive perfect games during the team's "Central Park to Sydney" tour, including six straight no-hitters.

But "Vegas" -- Harrigan's nickname because of her security job at the Bellagio hotel and casino in Las Vegas -- is no slouch. She was picked to start the opener because the Canadian lineup is dominated by lefties.

The Canadians said Harrigan did not pitch that well.

"I didn't think it was her best outing," said second baseman Jackie Lance, who struck out and feebly grounded out in two at-bats. "I mean, she's pitched quite a bit better than that."

Canada has not beaten the United States since 1983.

Harrigan's teammates were relatively subdued in congratulating her, except for the always exuberant Richardson, who jumped up and down while slapping Harrigan with a high five.

"It was fun," Harrigan said.

Douty had a run-scoring single in the first inning to give the Americans all the runs they would need. Bustos hit a two-run homer in the third, Brundage hit a two-run shot in the fifth, and Richardson added a home run in the sixth.

"Nice to get off to a good start," Richardson said.

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