US Olympic Softball Team Set To Begin Playing Tuesday Against Italy
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Softball will return to the Olympics Tuesday with three games including a matchup between the U.S. and Italy which both have players from Orange County.
Softball at the Tokyo Olympics will be the first time the sport has been played at the games since 2008. In 2005, the International Olympic Committee voted to drop softball from the 2012 Olympic program.
In 2016, softball was among six sports added to the 2020 Olympics along with baseball, karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding.
Three players from Orange County and one from Los Angeles County are playing on the top-ranked U.S. team. Catcher Dejah Mulipola from Anaheim, catcher Aubree Munro from Brea, outfielder Janie Reed from Placentia, and pitcher Rachel Garcia from Palmdale.
Garcia is among four UCLA alumni on the team along with pitcher Ally Carda, utility player Bubba Nickles and infielder Delaney Spaulding.
Italy, the lowest-ranked team in the six-team Olympic softball tournament, has two players from Orange County -- infielders Amanda Fama from Anaheim and Giulia Koutsoyanopulos from Mission Viejo.
The game will be televised live on NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)