15/07/2024 – 20/07/2024
#SoftballWorldCupW
Three National Teams – USA, Netherlands and Japan – are undefeated after Day 2 and will advance to the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2024 Super Round in Castions di Strada in Italy.
Japan beat Puerto Rico, the Netherlands shocked Australia and USA shut out Italy on Tuesday.
Defending champions USA confirmed a Super Round spot with two wins from two games in Group A and play winless China on Wednesday, while the Day 3 game in Group B between the Netherlands and Japan will determine the other undefeated team.
Italy and Canada in Group A will compete for the final spot in the medal round.
World No. 1 USA defeated No. 6 Italy in six innings to stay undefeated. Megan Faraimo dominated Italy, allowing only two hits and striking out nine in five innings of work. Jessie Warren hit a home run, a double and had four RBIs.
Megan Faraimo started for the United States, while Italy gave the ball to Christina Toniolo.
USA leadoff hitter Haylie McCleney scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first. She walked, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, reached third on wild pitch and scored on a groundout.
Jessie Warren hit a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the second to extend the USA lead to 2-0.
Hannah Flippen scored the third USA run. She led off the bottom of the third with a stand-up double and reached home on two consecutive groundouts.
Italy stayed in the game thanks to some good defensive plays.
Melanie Sheldon hit a one-out single in the top of the fifth, Italy’s first hit since Dayton’s leadoff triple. Faraimo got out of the inning with back-to-back strike outs.
USA closed the game in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded and no one out, Warren attacked the first pitch she saw and drove it into the gap to right centre for a three-RBI double. She advanced to third on an error and scored on a ground out to end the game on the run difference rule.
GAME REPORT
World No. 6 Netherlands defeated No. 10 Australia after a thriller and qualified for the Super Round. The Dutch had the first lead. After Australia tied the game in the fourth, a two-run home run by Dinet Oosting in the fifth gave the Netherlands the lead they wouldn’t give up.
The Netherlands picked Jessie Aalst as their starting pitcher, while Australia gave the ball to Kaia Parnaby.
The Netherlands loaded the bases in their first at-bat. Parnaby got Laura Wissink on a fly to centre to end the frame.
Australia also had runners at second and first and only one out, but Van Aalst got out of trouble getting Jenna Trim to ground into a double play.
Australia thought they had a lead when pinch hitter Stacey McManus doubled off the wall in left field. Jade Wall tried to score from first, but a perfect throw by Damisha Charles got her at the plate.
The Netherlands took the lead in the top of the third. With the bases loaded and one out, Suka Van Gurp hit a comebacker to the pitcher. The throw home was inaccurate, and the runner was called safe after the on-field review. Laura Wissink batted in the second run with a sacrifice fly to deep centre field.
Van Aalst gave up a one-out single to Michelle Cox and left for Lisa Hop. The reliever walked the bases loaded with two outs, then got our of the jam retiring Georgia Hood on a fly to right field.
Australia thrived on a defensive error and a couple of wild pitcher by Hope to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. Stacey Mc Manus batted in the tying run.
The Netherlands relieved Hop with Marjolein Merkk, who got out of the inning, avoiding further damage.
Dinet Oosting gave the Netherlands another lead in the top of the fifth with a two-run home run.
Australia gave the ball to Ellen Roberts.
The Netherlands relieved Merkk with Catherine Girigorie in the sixth.
The Dutch added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh on a double by Suka Van Gurp and an RBI single by Wissink.
Australia put a couple of runners in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh. Girigorie retiredWall on a flie to left and Clare Warwick on a po to first base to end the game and earn the save.
GAME REPORT
World No. 5 Canada earned their first win thanks to 12 hits, including a two-run homer by Kelsey Harshman. Sara Groenewegen earned the win.
Sara Groenewegen started for Canada, while China chose Yinan Chai.
Pitchers and defence dominated the first half of the game.
Canada took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Caitlyn Wong led off with a single and China gave the call to Yuchen Wei in the bullpen. Third base Grace Messmer got the reliever’s second offering with a double to left field to put Canada on the scoreboard. She reached third on the throw home. She scored Canada’s second run on an RBI single by Kianna Jones.
Canada opened the score on Kelsey Harshmann two-run home run.
China handed the ball to Caihong Liu.
Canada handed the ball to Katie Korstrom in the top of the fifth. China got to the reliever with an RBI single by Xiaoyan He. The first Chinese run in the tournament cut the gap to 4-1.
China put runners at third and second in the top of the sixth. Korstrom got out of the jam striking out Bei Wang.
Canada broke the score open in the bottom of the sixth. Pilgrim drove in the first run, Larissa Franklyn added a two-RBI triple, and Janet Leung followed with an RBI double.
Xiaoyan He batted in China’s second run in the top of the seventh. The game ended as Yue Xie lined into a double play at third base.
GAME REPORT
World No. 3 Japan outscored No. 2 Puerto Rico in five innings. Japan took an early lead and opened the score in the fourth on a three-run homer by Ayane Nakagawa. Sakura Miwa and Mio Sakamoto left the boricua no chance.
Taran Alvelo started for Puerto Rico, while Japan gave the ball to Sakura Miwa.
Japan wasted no time in getting to Alvelo. Back-to-back hits by Kyoko Ishikawa and Hotaro Tsukamoto put runners at the corners. A double steal and a sacrifice fly by Shito Suto gave Japan a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
Ayane Nakagawa broke the score open for Japan with a three-run home run in the top of the fourth.
Ishikawa followed with a triple, and Puerto Rico gave the call to Gianna Mancha in the bullpen. Tsukamoto welcomed her with a base hit, extending Japan’s lead to 6-0.
Mio Sakamoto replaced Miwa in the bottom of the fourth.
Japan made it 8-0 in the top of the fifth on base hits by pinch-hitter Haruka Sumitani and Ishikawa. Sakamoto retired the side in the bottom half of the frame to end the game in five.
GAME REPORT
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