ATHENS, Greece — The Italian Olympic softball team staged a rally against Jennie Finch in the top of the third inning on Saturday. That is, a hitter got a ball out of the infield.
It took until the last pitch of Finch's dominant three-inning Olympic debut for Italy to punch a ball to the outfield. Marta Gambella's soft fly ball was caught by the right fielder, completing a performance as awesome as advertised.
Finch, who won 60 consecutive decisions at the University of Arizona, allowed no hits as the United States thumped Italy, 7-0, in the opening game of the softball preliminaries at the Helliniko Olympic Complex. Two relievers finished the shutout.
The game ended with a two-run double by Natasha Watley in the fifth inning. It gave the United States a wide enough lead to invoke the Olympic mercy rule, which halts a game if one team is ahead by seven runs from the fifth inning on.
"I wanted to throw strikes, and I wanted to use my defense behind me," Finch said. "Put pressure on the hitters, throw strikes and let them do the work."
That was the plan, but the defense mostly rested while Finch pitched. She struck out the leadoff hitter each inning and five over all, walking one and getting two outs on grounders and another on a pop up before the final fly out.
It was a typical performance for Finch, an ace pitcher for a team expected to continue its dominance. The United States has won both gold medals since the Olympics adopted softball in 1996.
"I expect that every game," U.S. coach Mike Candrea said. "Sometimes you don't get that every game. But Jennie, she can be overpowering."
Candrea said he removed Finch after three innings because he wanted to get work for pitchers Lori Hannigan and Cat Osterman. The United States plays a tougher opponent, Australia, on Sunday. The two-time gold medalist Lisa Fernandez is available to pitch, though Candrea has not announced his starter.
Finch's talent was obvious on Saturday, and the Italians knew it coming in; she had struck out 14 and given up just two hits in seven innings against Italy in exhibition games in April. But this is her first Olympics, and Finch realized the scope of her celebrity when she met former President George Bush before the game.
"We stepped off our bus, and he's there," Finch said. "It's President Bush saying hello and knowing us by our names. It's an incredible honor, and it all goes with the Olympics and the hype of the Olympic games."
A gold medal could complete Finch's national breakthrough. She has been a co-host for "This Week in Baseball" for two years, and was named one of People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people this year.
But Finch, 23, had never appeared in the Olympics until Saturday, and she admitted she felt nervous on Friday night. The team did not attend the opening ceremonies, and Finch went to bed at 10 p.m. She said she fell asleep around midnight.
"This is a game I've been playing since I was 5 years old," Finch said. "I was telling myself you can't get too high or too low, but you can only do so much of that talking. It's the Olympics."
U.S. catcher Stacey Nuveman, a veteran of the 2000 Olympic team, said Finch's effort was more impressive considering the focus on her. By the time Finch took the field for pre-game introductions — with her right arm tucked in her warm-up jacket — the jitters seemed to be gone.
"It's amazing how she takes all the attention in stride," Nuveman said. "It's just kind of something that's there. It's not something she thinks about or worries about. It doesn't affect her at all, and that's a special thing.
"Certain athletes get instant fame and don't know how to handle it. Today was proof that she's handling it like a champion."