ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, July 31, 1996               TAG: 9607310071
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: COLUMBUS, GA. 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

WHAT THE DR. ORDERED RICHARDSON LEADS U.S. SOFTBALL TO GOLD

As the last Chinese batter walked away from the plate, Lisa Fernandez tossed her glove high in the air, celebrating a victory that was much tougher than anyone could have imagined.

``We didn't do it pretty, but we won,'' she said later, clutching her gold medal. ``And right now, that's all that matters.''

Dot Richardson, the 34-year-old orthopedic surgeon who doubles as the team's shortstop, went 2-for-3 and hit a home run Tuesday as the United States broke out of its scoring slump to beat China 3-1.

Sheila Cornell, already twice a hero against China, hit a deep drive that scored another run in a third-inning burst as the Americans capped their bumpy ride to the title.

``It's sweet when you have to get down and reach deep inside and give it everything you have,'' said Richardson, the team's emotional leader. ``And then you can say you did it.''

The Chinese, who beat Australia 4-2 in the afternoon to qualify for the gold-medal game, took the silver. Australia won the bronze.

The players carried small U.S. flags around the perimeter of the park as an overflow crowd of 8,750 stood and cheered. Many of the Chinese players left the field in tears. Michele Granger, the Americans' starting pitcher, hugged several Chinese players.

``Everybody can feel the loss for a team like China,'' Granger said.

The Americans compiled a 118-2 record along the way to the gold, an eye-catching accomplishment that made them overwhelming favorites coming into the first Olympic softball tournament.

But they stumbled in recent days, scoring only five runs in the three games leading up to the gold-medal contest, raising questions whether they could reach what all along was their only goal: an Olympic title.

Richardson made several plays that set the tone for the evening and helped the Americans finish the tournament 8-1.

She led off the bottom of the first with a line-drive single. In the top of the third, she threw out Zhang Chunfang at the plate while the Chinese were trying to execute a double steal.

``It doesn't get any better than this,'' said Richardson, who is scheduled to be in Los Angeles on Thursday to begin a rotation in hand surgery. ``This is just a tremendous, tremendous thrill.''

Laura Berg led off the third with a single before Richardson followed with a home run just inside the pole in right field, her third homer of the tournament.

LENGTH: Medium:   57 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:   AP Pitcher Lisa Fernandez jumps for joy after helping 
          the United States beat China 3-1 on Tuesday night in the gold-medal 
          softball game.   color