OKLAHOMA CITY — Jessica Mendoza and the United States put Japan away quickly yesterday, but expect a bigger challenge when they play for the World Cup title.

Mendoza homered and drove in four runs and Crystl Bustos and Tairia Flowers each added two-run shots, lifting the U.S. past Japan 11-0 at the World Cup of Softball.

Today's will be a rematch of last year's final.

"They didn't look like they were pumped up," Mendoza said. "I think that they're waiting for tomorrow. That's going to be a real game."

While both teams held back their aces, there was no holding back the U.S. offense.

Mendoza, who has a tournament-high 15 RBIs, started the scoring with a bloop single down the left field line to score Natasha Watley. Bustos then lined a screamer over the left field wall to give the U.S. a 3-0 lead.

Watley added a two-run triple in the fourth, and Mendoza followed by slamming her third home run of the World Cup.

Flowers capped a six-run inning with another blast to left field off Juri Takayama (0-1), a three-time Olympic medal winner. Mendoza also had an RBI single and Bustos a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the fifth.

U.S. coach Mike Candrea said he didn't want his players to take it easy because the game is important preparation for next month's World Championships in Beijing.

"Every game matters for us," Candrea said. "Anyone who puts on a uniform that likes to compete, every game matters. You don't ever just come out here and play."

This game had been on the Americans' minds since last year, when Japan upset the three-time Olympic gold medal winners 3-1 in the World Cup title game.

The U.S. had beaten Japan 7-0 in a preliminary round game last year but then lost in the championship. Japan scored two early runs against Cat Osterman and Yukiko Ueno threw a three-hitter.

"This is the same story as last year," Japan coach Hidetomi Ikawa said through an interpreter. "Today we lost, but we will win tomorrow."

Ikawa said Ueno would likely pitch in the title game if she is in "good condition." Candrea wouldn't say who he planned to start.

Alicia Hollowell (1-0), recovering from a forearm injury suffered after she won the Women's College World Series at Arizona, gave up three first-inning singles, but settled down to toss a four-hitter.

Canada 4, Australia 1: Angela Lichty singled home two of Canada's three first-inning runs and Kaila Holtz pitched 6 1/3 strong innings to beat Australia. Kristy Odamura, a UH-Hilo alum, walked and stole second before Kristy Bradley's RBI single, and Bradley and Sheena Lawrick scored on Lichty's single.

China 10, Britain 2: China (1-4) scored four first-inning runs, two on a home run by Lu Yi, en route to a victory over Great Britain in a game called after 4 1/2 innings because of a tournament mercy rule. China and Britain will play for fifth place today.