Women's Baseball World Cup Enters 'Super Round'

(ATR) It’s anyone’s ballgame as the top six teams in the WBSC Women’s World Cup move into the "Super Round" of play in Viera, Florida.

Although Japan is undefeated as the top seed from Group B, the five-time defending champion has had some close games, including a 2-1 squeaker over Canada.

"I would dare to say that probably more than ever, this tournament is wide open right now," tournament director Joan Garcia tells Around the Rings.

"It’s very even," he added. "In the past, Japan has been one or two steps above. In this tournament we’ve seen very tight games."

The move toward parity at USSSA Space Coast Stadium includes the first World Cup appearances by two teams that are not ranked in the Top 10: The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

In an impressive debut, the DR is the third team in Group B – behind Japan and Canada – to qualify for the "Super Round," thanks to its 9-6 win over Australia, which came in ranked No. 4 in the world.

"All of a sudden we have another nation that brings a women’s team at a high level," said Garcia, the Special Projects and Events Manager for WBSC.

Chinese Taipei is the top seed in Group A, followed by the United States and Venezuela. Seedings are based on head-to-head results. The results of the "Super Round," in which each team plays three games, will be added to the opening round head-to-head totals to determine the Top 4 teams that will play for medals Friday.

Chinese Taipei defeated Team USA 4-3 on Sunday night. The United States, which last won this tournament in 2006 and didn’t advance from group play two years ago, came in ranked No. 3. Chinese Taipei was No. 6.

"It’s a big upset for sure," Garcia said. "It feels like now it’s a little more compacted. On any given day there are several teams that can beat each other."

The Super Round begins Tuesday. The six teams that did not advance will play in a Consolation Round.

Alas, Mother Nature has not cooperated for this showcase of women’s sports. Lightning last week forced two games to be postponed until Monday, with Chinese Taipei defeating the Netherlands 11-1 (the "mercy rule" came into play in the fifth inning) and Venezuela overcoming a 4-1 deficit to defeat Puerto Rico 9-6.

Venezuela was up 8-4 in the top of the seventh inning when lightning was spotted again, causing a delay of nearly an hour.

It rained lightly during the break, but that isn’t a problem because the artificial turf at the complex near Florida’s Atlantic Coast has excellent drainage.

Venezuela wasted no time scoring another run.

However, daily forecasts call for scattered thunderstorms the rest of the week. The rain has dampened enthusiasm among spectators and organizers hope attendance improves for the "Super Round."

Only about 35 people were in the stands for the Chinese Taipei-Netherlands game, which started at 11 a.m. The Dutch fans were easy to spot as many wore orange and a "Holland" banner billowed in the breeze.

Garcia said there have been more people for the evening games and he hopes interest will grow with medals at stake.

All 50 games are being live-streamed on a YouTube channel and some have been on DirecTV via Eleven Sports.

While there are familiar faces including pitcher Ayami Sato, 28, of Japan, and Canadians Ashley Stephenson, 35, and Kate Psota, 32, youngsters such as Mia Valcke, 18, of Canada, and 16-year-old pitcher Ashton Lansdell of Team USA are grabbing attention.

Megan Baltzell of the United States, has had success at the plate. In a 3-1 win over Venezuela, she hit a home run that flew 363 feet, smacking a white building behind right field.

"Sato is an institution in women’s baseball," Garcia said. "But we’re also seeing very young, talented players making the team and being starters right away. There are definitely up-and-coming stars that we have to keep an eye on."

Written by Karen Rosenin Viera, Florida

Coverage of the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup is made possible in part by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

For general comments or questions,click here.

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.