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Kelsey Stewart hits walkoff home run for USA Softball to beat Japan [VIDEO]

Even though it was only to determine who bats last in the gold medal game, it was still pretty cool.

By Collin Sherwin Updated
Haylie McCleney, Janette Reed, Monica Abbott, Kelsey Stewart and Michelle Moultrie of Team United States celebrate with Amanda Chidester after Chidester hit a two-run RBI single in the eighth inning to win the game 2-1 as Stacey Mcmanus of Team Australia looks on after their game during the Softball Opening Round on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium on July 25, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. Photo by Yuichi Masuda/Getty Images

UPDATE: This might be even bigger than expected, as with a typhoon heading straight for Tokyo, it’s possible the gold medal game could be canceled. If that happens, the United States would win the gold with a 5-0 record in pool play over Japan’s 4-1.

A big move by Team USA’s Ken Eriksen here.

Team USA’s Kelsey Stewart hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the United States a 2-1 win over Japan in the last game of softball preliminary play for both teams. With the win, the Americans will bat last in the gold medal game at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Despite some dominant pitching from legends Monica Abbott and Cat Osterman, the USA has struggled with offense so far in this tournament. This is the first home run for the red, white, and blue at the Olympics. But it couldn’t come at a better time for the USA, who will look to win the first softball gold medal in 17 years for the traditionally-dominate nation in the sport.

Japan defeated the USA in the last softball final at the 2008 Games in Beijing, and the sport won’t be contested again until the 2028 games in Los Angeles at the earliest. There’s probably not a more pressure-packed game in the entire Olympics than this one.

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