Prepping for Beijing
United States third baseman Crystl Bustos takes batting practice at Historic Bowman Field Thursday evening as USA softball took on a local group of all-stars.
NATE WILSON/THE EXPRESS
WILLIAMSPORT — It wasn’t about winning or losing.
The Longstreth Regional all-star team knew that getting runs would be a challenge against one of the best softball teams in the world.
What counted more than scoring was that the close-knit team had fun.
Mark that goal as achieved.
The U.S. Olympic Softball team rode into Williamsport’s Historic Bowman Field and showcased the skills that they hope will lead them to another gold medal in this year’s Summer Games in Beijing. The Olympians produced plenty of flashy hits, had suave base running and a got a near-perfect outing from hurler Jennie Finch in a 15-0 victory over the all-star team.
The Olympic softball team’s stop in Williamsport is one of only two in Pennsylvania in their “Bound 4 Beijing Tour.” The team will visit 45 cities, take 29 flights and travel nearly 38,000 miles before even making it to China, where they hope to win their third straight gold medal.



