SOFTBALL : RICHARDSON LEADS AMERICAN ROUT.

Byline: Molly Blue Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer

U.S. shortstop Dot Richardson of Sherman Oaks has dreamed about softball in the Olympics. In her sleep, she's the first batter and hammers the first pitch out of the park for the first Olympic home run.

Richardson didn't do that Sunday. But she came close, homering in her third at-bat. She slammed the first pitch of the sixth inning over the center-field fence to lead the Americans to a 10-0 rout of Puerto Rico in softball's debut in the Olympic Games.

Richardson, the oldest player on the U.S. team at 34, was 2 for 4 and left an indelible mark on the game and an indelible impression on the 8,462 partisan fans:

Not only was her home run the first in Olympic softball, she also had the first hit - a single to lead off the game - and scored the first run as well.

Her pace around the bases picked up as she watched the home run get scooped up in the outfield bleachers, and she clenched both fists and leaped in celebration.

``It was exciting,'' Richardson said. ``It was the first high pitch I had all day.''

As she was rounding the bases, she looked over the third-base dugout, past her cheering teammates, at her family.

At that moment, she said, she thought ``it doesn't get any better than this.''

Team USA's offense couldn't have been much better. After some inconsistency on the team's national tour this spring, the Americans battered pitchers Lisa Mize and Lisa Martinez Shawver, rapping out 13 hits. They scored two runs in the first, three in the third and five in the sixth, ending the game in the bottom of the sixth on the 10-run mercy rule.

Puerto Rico coach Jose Agosto said he was surprised by the margin of victory. ``They had key plays that were costly to us. The U.S. took advantage of the opportunity and scored runs,'' he said.

U.S. coach Ralph Raymond was more circumspect in his analysis of the game.

``One game does not a series make,'' Raymond said. ``(But) the kids came up swinging the sticks.''

Pitcher Michele Granger said she wished she'd been better. Granger struck out five of the first six batters, 10 overall, and gave up two hits, both to Puerto Rico left fielder Carla Vazquez.

``I'm known for my strikeouts and I didn't have enough strikeouts today,'' said Granger, the NCAA all-time strikeout leader from Cal. ``I don't think I was throwing very hard.''

At one point, she had trouble keeping a grip on the ball, bouncing a few pitches to catcher Gillian Boxx.

But between Granger's ``bad day'' and a day Richardson never will forget, the U.S. improved to 111-1 in international play since 1986 and 1-0 at the Olympics.

Notes: The U.S. team plays the Netherlands at 6 p.m. (PDT) today. UCLA-bound Christa Williams, the team's youngest player at 18, will pitch.

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Photo

Photo: (color) U.S. player Dot Richardson celebrates afterhitting the first home run in Olympic softball.

Gary Bogdon / Orlando Sentinel