The game was deadlocked until the bottom of the eighth when Laura Berg stepped up to the plate with two batters on base from walks. The experienced center fielder hit it to left field where Shiori Koseki almost got back for the catch but fell, spilling the ball. The Americans couldn't believe their luck and Nuveman sprinted home to the cheer of her teammates. The Japanese baseball team also stumbled on Tuesday, falling to gold medal favorite Cuba 3-0 in their semifinal. The defending Olympic champion plays the winner of a late game between the United States and Korea in the final.
Japan plays the loser for the bronze medal.
It was a tight pitching duel between the Lotte Marines' Tomohiro Kuroki and Jose Ariel Contreras of Cuba until the bottom of the fourth inning when Yasser Gomez singled. Omar Linares then appeared to hit into a double play but second baseman Jun Heima's wild throw allowed Gomez to advance to second. Orestas Kindelan then hit to left field to drive in the first Cuban run. Japan had another runner aboard in the fifth when Yukio Tanaka of the Pacific League's Nippon Ham Fighters, singled but a strikeout and a double play ended the threat. Kindelan rose to the occasion again in the sixth inning.