OKLAHOMA CITY — The retirement of seven gold-medal winning Olympic veterans hasn't slowed the U.S. softball team one bit.

Ashley Hansen became the latest rookie to come through, hitting a grand slam as the United States completed an undefeated run to the World Cup of Softball championship game with an 8-0 win over Australia yesterday.

It was the 19th straight win for a young American squad that features 10 rookies.

"I'm really happy with how we did, but I'm really not that surprised," said Alissa Haber, who also homered and is Hansen's Stanford teammate. "The first day we were at the tryout, they said, 'This is a family. Now you're part of our family.' And I 100 percent see how that works out. Everyone is really coming together really well."

Jennie Finch (2-0), one of the few veterans left, struck out eight and allowed only two singles in her second spotless outing at the World Cup, where U.S. pitchers have yet to allow an earned run.

Despite losing veterans Laura Berg, Crystl Bustos, Stacey Nuveman, Lovieanne Jung, Kelly Kretschman and Jenny Topping to retirement, the U.S. went 14-0 in winning the Canada Cup this month and has hardly been challenged so far at the World Cup. The Americans have outscored foes 48-3 and won three of their five games by the mercy rule.

Yesterday's game against Australia was called after five innings.

The teams will meet again in the championship game tonight after Australia (3-2), the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, bounced back to beat Italy, 8-0, in five innings later yesterday.

"The young girls are full of talent, and it's exciting to see them wear the red, white and blue for the first time and do so well," Finch said.

ELSEWHERE

Australia 8, Italy 0, 5 innings: Chelsea Forkin had a bases-loaded triple in a five-run first inning as Australia (3-2) jumped on Italy (0-5) early and got the mercy rule win. Sara Avanzi had a one-out single in the fifth to break up a no-hit bid by Justine Smethurst (2-0). Smethurst, a University of Hawai'i alum, struck out 11.

Japan 5, Canada 4: Haruna Sakamoto hit a grand slam off college softball player of the year Danielle Lawrie as Japan (3-2) knocked Canada (2-2) out of contention for the title game.

Canada 9, Netherlands 2: Melanie Matthews and Erin Cumpstone each had three hits and scored twice as Canada avoided falling into the fifth-place game. Canada will face Japan in the third-place game, while the Dutch (1-4) will face Italy for fifth.