ATHENS, Greece - Former Southeastern Louisiana University baseball player Jeff Williams played a huge part in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic baseball history as Australia defeated Japan, 1-0, to advance to its first-ever Gold Medal game Tuesday at Helliniko's Olympic Baseball Centre.
In other Olympic action involving former Southeastern athletes, Christine Amertil finished in seventh-place in the finals of the women's 400-meter dash, crossing the finish line in 50.37. Amertil's teammate, World season leader and pre-race favorite Tonique Williams-Darling, held off reigning world champion Ana Guevara of Mexico down the stretch to win the crown in a time of 49.41.
Williams, who played at Southeastern from 1992-96 before a four-year major league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, relieved starter Chris Oxspring in the seventh inning after Japan put two runners on base off a pair of Australian errors. Williams immediately got Atsushi Fujimoto to pop out to third base to end the inning before retiring the final six batters he faced in earning his second save in the Games and leading Australia to its second win over Japan - the only two in the tournament for one of the favorites heading into the Games.
In two games against Japan, the former Lion hurler was flawless out of the bullpen throwing 5.1 innings allowing one hit and striking out six. Against Japan on Tuesday, Williams tossed 2.1 innings of no-hit ball while fanning three.
Australia, which began the tournament with an 0-2 record before winning five of its last six games, will face Cuba, an 8-5 winner over Canada, on Wednesday with the first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. Athens time (12:00 p.m. Hammond time).
OLYMPIC NOTE
American javelin thrower Kim Kreiner is slated to begin her competition in Group B that is slated to begin at 12:35 p.m. (Hammond time) on Wednesday in Olympic Stadium. Kreiner, a former Kent State standout who trains in Baton Rouge, is coached by Southeastern track and field assistant coach Ramona Pagel, a four-time Olympian who holds the American record in the shot put.
