BASEBALL : U.S. BASEBALL BASHES ITS WAY PAST SHOCKED JAPAN.

Byline: Tim Cowlishaw Dallas Morning News

A seven-run first inning made history for the U.S. baseball team Thursday night. But it wasn't until another seven-run inning in the fifth that the Americans were able to make history of Japan.

The United States pounded seven home runs, including, if you will, back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs in the first to hammer Japan 15-5 before 52,384 fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Seven different players went deep for the U.S. - including Troy Glaus of Chatsworth and UCLA, and USC's Jacque Jones - while Japan's Nobuhiko Matsunaka made a little history for himself in hitting the first upper-deck home run at the stadium in 25 years.

The 10-run rule allowed the U.S. team to win in the minimum seven innings.

Matsunaka's shot in the fourth inning cut the United States' lead to 7-5 as Kris Benson, the first overall pick by Pittsburgh in the June draft, struggled with the lead. But another seven spot in the fifth did enough damage to ensure the U.S. of running its record to 4-0. Japan is a surprising 1-3 and in danger of not qualifying for the medal round.

The victory almost certainly means the U.S. and Cuba, also 4-0, will finish as the top two teams in the round-robin and won't play each other in the medal round until the championship game next Friday.

The bashing started with Jones, a three-run home run with no outs in the first. After the next two hitters were retired, Texas A&M's Chad Allen started the Olympic record-setting home-run roll. Reliever Jutaro Kimura replaced starter Koichi Misawa, and things only got worse for the Japanese.

Glaus, A.J. Hinch and Wayne Morris followed Allen's shot with home runs to give the U.S. a 7-0 lead and end Kimura's miserable night.

Japan struck back with two runs in the first, two in the third and Matsunaka made it 7-5 in the fourth. His home run was the first hit into the upper deck at the stadium since Earl Williams took Gaylord Perry to that level in 1971. Rest assured that if the major leagues used aluminum bats there would have been hundreds more since then.

The U.S. answered with seven in the fifth, and this time it took just one home run from shortstop Jason Williams. Three singles, a double, a triple, an error, a balk and a walk did the rest of the destruction.

The U.S. plays Australia on Saturday before its big showdown game with Cuba Sunday at 2 p.m.

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Photo

Photo: Japan's Jutaro Kimura stands dejectedly as Troy Glau s of UCLA trots the bases in the American victory.

Associated Press