Yumiko Fujii and Mariko Masubuchi combined for 10 strikeouts and held the powerful Chinese lineup to five hits Monday as Japan defeated the Atlanta silver medalists 3-1 in the softball preliminaries of the Sydney Olympic Games.
Emi Naito and Hiroko Tamoto came through with RBI hits with two out in the second inning while back-to-back doubles by Miyo Yamada and Shiori Koseki in the sixth gave Japan an insurance run to secure its second straight win of the tourney.
Japan starter Fujii struggled with her control early, giving up a run to Asian Games champion China in the first, but settled down for three strong innings before getting into trouble in the fifth.
Masubuchi, however, who pitched a no-hitter against the Chinese in April, got Japan out of a bases-loaded jam with one out in the fifth by getting the heart of the Chinese lineup to pop out to second and swing at her "rise-ball" for a third strike.