Teams Hitting Halfway Point at WWC

CARACAS, VENEZUELA -- The International Softball Federation’s XII Women’s World Championship hits the halfway point tomorrow in terms of it being day five of ten but following ten games today, teams are hitting the halfway point in round robin play.

Sixteen countries are participating in the fast pitch tournament, with eight teams in each pool. With one game against each team in their pool, teams are playing seven round robin games.

Overall, Canada, Japan, and USA all find themselves with perfect 4-0 won-lost records so far, with Australia, the Netherlands, and Venezuela at 3-1.

Today began with the Netherlands getting past Argentina, 4-3. The Dutch were actually outhit, 7-5, but held off the Argentines. After giving up a run in the top of the first, the Netherlands got all of their runs in the bottom half of the inning. Argentina got a pair in the top of the fourth, but neither team would score the rest of the way, as Argentina’s record fell to 1-2.

Meanwhile, Australia was defeating the Czech Republic, 6-0. Four different Aussie players had two hits apiece, including Stacey Porter and Tracey Mosley, who each hit a home run. Pitchers Aimee Murch and Kaia Parnaby held the Czech batters to a game total of just four hits.

Japan was then set to take on Cuba and started to until rain not only suspended play, but joined with a busy grounds crew to delay the restart for hours. Eventually Japan won, 1-0, thanks to a complete-game performance from 20-year old Sayuri Yamane who allowed just three hits. Offensively, her teammates put up just the same total, but it took just Naoko Matsumoto’s RBI double in the second inning to provide all the scoring Japan would need. Cuban pitcher Yusmari Pacheco was impressive in defeat.

China and New Zealand were somewhat delayed by the same rain, but like the game at the other field, the Asian team won by shutout here too, 11-0. Yuan Wang went 2-for-3 at the plate, including a triple, and Luo Ying hit a home run while New Zealand mustered just two hits in what would be a four-inning game (ISF run-ahead rule). After a scoreless first inning China scored twice in the top of the second, six times in the third, and three more runs in the fourth.

To keep the games on track, Canada’s game scheduled against Great Britain was moved off-site, but it didn’t hamper the red and white who posted a 7-0 triumph. Highlights for the winners included Jenn Yee hitting her third home run in as many games and pitcher Ashley Lanz throwing a no-hitter (five-inning game) and striking out seven GB batters. The winners got runs in each inning except the first.

Australia came back for their second game of the day and provided a little déjà vu with another 6-0 victory, this time over the Dominican Republic. The loss dropped the Dominican Republic’s record to 1-3. Australia’s other victory (yesterday versus China) had been by shutout as well. The Aussies gave up four runs (to Venezuela) in their only defeat thus far.

Still another shutout was posted when the Netherlands posted their second victory of the day, a 3-0 decision against Cuba. Interestingly, it was Cuba’s pitcher, Anisle Lopez, who took a perfect game into the fifth inning, retiring the first 13 batters of the game. But Netherlands pitcher Lindsey Meadows broke it up with a single to right field with one out and her team went on to score two runs in that inning. They added an insurance tally in the seventh inning on a solo home run by Chantal Versluis.

Meadows pitched a complete game and, unofficially, struck out ten.

Team USA had a quick night’s work, by way of the ISF’s run-ahead rule, needing just three innings to down Botswana, 20-0. Both Chelsea Bramlett and Lauren Lappin went 3-for-3 at the plate. Pitcher Jennie Finch made her first appearance in the circle so far at the world championship, having been used previously at first base. Tonight she struck out six Botswana batters over the trio of innings.

Canada had been scheduled to play Argentina last night but the game was suspended due to rain. There was certainly no sunshine for Argentina – and not just because it was a night game – as Canada rolled to a 12-0 victory. The winners got ten runs in the first inning alone and pitcher Jenna Caira struck out three batters and allowed just three hits in what was just a four-inning game (run-ahead rule).

The evening concluded with Venezuela posting a 5-1 victory over the Czech Republic in front of yet another jam-packed stadium while Chinese Taipei was defeating South Africa, 8-1.

Venezuela was led by Rubilena Rojas going 2-for-3 at the plate and pitcher Mariangee Bogado throwing a complete-game three-hitter.

Chinese Taipei had a run-ahead rule game too, getting eight runs on eleven hits in five innings, scoring in all but the second. South Africa put their lone tally on the board in the bottom of the fourth. The victory evened Chinese Taipei’s record at 2-2 while South Africa fell to 0-4.

The remaining three days of round robin play will ‘only’ have eight games each day. Tomorrow starts off at 1pm (local time) with Chinese Taipei taking on Argentina and Team USA battling long-time rival Australia.

For more information contact: Bruce Wawrzyniak at Brucew@isfsoftball.org

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