While you were sleeping

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BEIJING -- The U.S. women’s softball team won its 18th consecutive game, then came back later to win its 17th consecutive game.

Confused?

Rain on Thursday caused postponement of a game the United States was trailing, 1-0, to Canada in the fourth inning. So the team had to return Friday for its regularly scheduled game against Japan, which the United States won, 7-0, with four home runs — two by Jessica Mendoza of Camarillo, Calif., and one each by Natasha Whaley of Irvine, Calif., and Crystl Bustos of Canyon County, Calif.

The United States then hung around for the resumption of the previous day’s game, which it won, 8-1. Monica Abbott of Salinas, who pitched the four innings of the game against Canada on Thursday, pitched a shutout against Japan, though she did give up a hit, the first allowed by the United States here. Pitcher Cat Osterman of Houston finished off the game against Canada.

Elsewhere:

(All times PDT)

12:33 a.m. The U.S. women’s water polo team led, 5-0, after the first quarter and won easily, 12-7, over Russia. Brenda Villa of Commerce, Calif., and Alison Gregorka of Ann Arbor, Mich., each scored two goals. The United States advanced to the semifinals.

12:43 a.m. Favorite Cuba beat Davey Johnson’s U.S. baseball team but had to go extra innings to do it. Jayson Nix, a Colorado Rockies minor leaguer from Dallas, hit a home run in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score, 3-3. But Cuba scored two runs in the 11th and the U.S. could counter with only one in a 5-4 loss. Nix was hit in the face by a fouled bunt attempt and taken to the hospital for examination. He sustained a laceration above his left eye and will miss the rest of the tournament.

2:23 a.m. U.S. archer Vic Wunderle of Mason City, Ill., advanced to the quarterfinals but lost to Mexico’s Juan Rene Serrano of Mexico, 113-106. Earlier Friday, Wunderle upset No. 8 Im Dong Hyun of South Korea, 113-111.

2:39 a.m. The Williams sisters, who both lost in singles Thursday, rallied for a 7-5, 6-2 doubles victory over Japan’s Ayumi Morita and Ai Sugiyama.

2:44 a.m. Matt Hughes of Ludington, Mich., Sam Stitt of McLean, Va., Jamie Schroeder of Williamette, Ill., and Scott Gault of Piedmont, Ca., advanced to the final in the quad scull rowing competition.

3:54 a.m. Dara Torres, the 41-year-old supermom from Coral Gables, Fla., advanced through the prelims in the 50-meter freestyle, finishing second in her heat and third overall.

4:07 a.m. James Blake failed to advanced to the final in men’s tennis, dropping a tense three-set match to Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez, 4-6, 7-5, 11-9. Blake had upset Roger Federer in the quarterfinals.

4:18 a.m. Sarah Hammer of Temecula, Calif., finished fifth in qualifying for the 3,000-meter cycling individual pursuit and rides in Saturday’s first round.

6:35 a.m. Tina Thompson had 17 points and seven rebounds and Lisa Leslie added 14 points and 11 rebounds as the United States beat Spain, 93-55, to remain unbeaten in women’s basketball.

7: a.m. Wake up, smell the Anxi oolong tea!

Now playing: U.S. vs. Canada in women’s soccer (U.S. leads 2-1 in overtime); men’s shot put final.

Coming up later this morning: Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic; Williams sisters in doubles quarterfinals; Bryan brothers in doubles semifinals; women’s 10,000 final.

-- Randy Harvey