US thrash Venezuela

Winners of every gold since softball became part of the Olympics at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games, US domination on the Olympic diamond is considered the prime reason the International Olympic Committee has decided to chop the sport from the Olympic roster after the Beijing Games.

Pushing for Olympic reinstatement, the International Softball Federation is hoping to use the Beijing Games to show how competitive the sport has become in the four years since Athens but there were no signs at Fengtai Field on opening day that anything has changed.

The rout was the 14th consecutive Olympic win for the US, a streak of dominance stretching back to a 2-1 round-robin loss to Australia at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Of those 14 wins, 13 have been shutouts, the rampaging Americans out-scoring opponents 74-1.

"We're not trying to put on a show, we're trying to play the game the way we know how to play," US coach Mike Candrea said. "USA softball plays the game hard, plays the game aggressively, playing it smart, and that's my concern.

"If it was a great show, I hope we have more great shows throughout the week."

In other opening day action, China crushed the Netherlands 10-2, while Japan, silver medallist in 2000, edged 2004 runnerup Australia 4-3. Canada cruised to a 6-1 win over Taiwan, matching their entire run production at the Athens Olympics.

After a scoreless first inning, the Americans unleashed their bats pushing across four runs in the second, two in the third and five more in the fifth to force the mercy rule.

Natasha Watley, Caitlin Lowe and slugger Crystl Bustos, who had an Olympic record five homers in Athens, all cracked home runs to equal the Olympics single game record.

In other opening day action, Canada scored two runs in second, third and sixth innings to cruise to a 6-1 win over Taiwan. The six runs Canada scored matched their entire run production at the Athens Olympics.