Jennie Finch shuts out Japan 5-0 at World Cup in one of her final starts for US national team

Nearing retirement, Finch shuts out Japan 5-0

OKLAHOMA CITY — Jennie Finch took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning in one of her final starts for the U.S. national team, Kaitlin Cochran homered in her second straight game and the Americans beat top rival Japan 5-0 Friday night at the World Cup of Softball.

Finch, who announced earlier this week that she’ll retire from international softball after the World Cup, lost her no-hitter with two outs in the fifth when Maki Tanigawa lined a single off the glove of third baseman Andrea Duran.

Shortstop Natasha Watley picked up the deflected ball but her throw to first was off target.

Cochran later threw out a runner at home from right field to preserve the shutout after Finch allowed three straight singles in the seventh.

Finch, who was backing up the play, hopped and pumped her fist when catcher Lauren Lappin blocked the plate and tagged out Satoko Mabuchi to end the game. She and Lappin then ran to the pitcher’s circle, where they greeted Cochran with high-fives.

Finch also singled twice, including once during a two-run second inning. Cochran, Finch and Andrea Duran had consecutive singles before the U.S. scored twice on Alissa Haber’s grounder to short.

Cochran was safe at home after a collision with Tanigawa knocked the ball away, allowing pinch-runner Chelsea Bramlett to score.

Cochran added a solo shot to right-center in the third to make it 3-0, and Watley had a two-run double in the sixth for the Americans (2-0).

Japan (1-1) supplanted the U.S. as the world’s top softball team by defeating the Americans 3-1 in the gold-medal game at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Then just three weeks ago, the U.S. climbed back to the No. 1 spot by beating the Japanese twice on its way to the world championship — the sport’s top event now that it’s out of the Olympics for at least the next decade.

The USA Futures team, made up of the best American players left off the national team, beat Canada 5-4 earlier Friday. Niki Williams scored the winning run on two-time college player of the year Danielle Lawrie’s error as the Futures team answered Canada’s three-run sixth inning in the bottom of the inning.