RAPID CITY - It was a dream assignment and for half the game, Tara Oltman had more than 3,800 softball fans at Pete Lien Memorial Field dreaming right along with her.

Oltman, pitching for the heavy underdogs from South Dakota, took control early and never looked intimidated against Team USA Tuesday night. In fact, for five innings she had the sold-out crowd wondering if she had the words USA written on her jersey.

After striking out the first Team USA hitter she faced, confidence exuded from Oltman. She worked on the mound quickly, spinning the softball in her right hand before delivering fiercely moving screwballs and painting outside corners with her fastball.

"Going into the game, I was doing anything I could to stay calm," said Oltman, a Creighton University All-American. "I've done a lot of pitching and I knew that I had to go at everybody I faced. I knew in my mind that I could get these girls out."

Team USA had defeated every ASA All-Star team that they had faced by at least 10 runs. But not South Dakota, thanks in part to Oltman. The Gold made it a game and kept it as close as any team in months, finally falling to the team of Olympians, 7-0.

After giving up a first-inning run, Oltman retired 8 of the next 11 hitters she faced, including clean-up hitter and Team USA superstar Crystl Bustos twice.

"You have to give her credit, you can't take anything away from her," said Bustos. "Some days you're on and some days you're not. She had good movement on the ball today."

Pete Lien Memorial Field seemed to transform into a stadium overnight, with the packed house intent on every pitch. The crowd gained confidence with Oltman and started clapping and chanting with each batter retired.

Offensively, the Black Hills Gold received its first and only hit in the second inning of the game by Allison Rutherford, who lined USA starter Monica Abbott's first pitch over shortstop Natasha Watley glove.

But in the fifth, leading 2-0, Team USA added two more runs after Natasha Watley earned her second infield single of the night, and Caitlin Lowe also singled. Two throwing errors by the Gold and a sacrifice fly gave Team USA a 4-0 lead.

Team USA starter Monica Abbott was dominant and imposing on the mound. At 6 foot, 3 inches and 14-0 on the Bound 4 Beijing Tour, Abbott went the distance, striking out 14 Gold hitters, giving up only one hit.

"We've had so much fun on our trip to South Dakota," said Abbott, "We went to the Air Force base and took a Blackhawk to Mount Rushmore. It was great because not only do we play for USA but we take a lot of pride in our country. It was a beautiful night here and the fans were great."

Team USA added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to close out the scoring, after a Lowe single, and a Jessica Mendoza inside-the-park home run which drew a huge ovation from the crowd.

The home run was Team USA's second of the night. The first came on a long blast from Team USA's Andrea Duran to center field, which ran Gold center fielder Tara Bendt through the fence.

Caitlin Lowe led the way for Team USA going 3-for-4.