WORLD CUP U.S. back on top in softball with 5-2 win

The Americans defeated Japan to finish unbeaten in six games.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Stacey Nuveman and Lovieanne Jung homered off nemesis Yukiko Ueno to power the United States to the World Cup of Softball title Monday night with a 5-2 victory over Japan.
Andrea Duran also homered and Cat Osterman struck out 11 in a two-hitter as the U.S. took the first big step toward re-establishing itself as the best softball team in the world after losing three times to Japan last year, including the World Cup final. The next test comes at the world championship next month in Beijing.
The Americans (6-0) scored twice early against Ueno, the Japanese ace who had been dominant against the U.S. for the past year. Nuveman then led off the fourth inning with a drive to center field, her first of the tournament, and Jung followed with a similar shot one out later.
Finally beat Ueno
It was the first time the Americans were able to solve Ueno (2-1), with a fastball measured at over 70 mph from 45 feet away and a changeup in the low 50s, since a 1-0 win over Japan in the 2003 Japan Cup.
Ueno threw a three-hitter in last year's World Cup title game, won 3-1 by Japan, and had allowed only that one run in her previous 26 innings against the United States.
The first pitcher to throw a perfect game in Olympic history, Ueno threw a pair of shutouts when the Americans visited Japan for the Japan Cup and an exhibition series last summer.
This time was different from the beginning.
Caitlin Lowe singled to start the bottom of the first and Natasha Watley reached when the ball popped out of Ueno's glove on a grounder back to the circle. Jessica Mendoza lined an RBI single to left to score Lowe, and Watley came in on a passed ball.
After giving up the two home runs in the fourth, Ueno was replaced by Yuko Endo to start the fifth. She yielded eight hits while striking out four.
Osterman in control
Osterman (2-0), who threw an eight-inning one-hitter against Japan in Athens, allowed two early runs in last year's title game, but this time displayed the brilliance that made her the NCAA strikeout queen. She retired eight of the first nine batters she faced on strikes.