2016 Women’s Softball World Championship Day 6 Game Summary
Post date: Jul 25, 2016 9:5:48 AM
The excitement that any world championship brings continued building today. Teams could start to see how they would finish in the second round robin portion of the tournament. Some teams were eliminated from medal contention; while others could be cautiously optimist about advancing.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
China (1-1) vs. Philippines (0-2)
7-1
China defeated the Philippines in a must win game for both teams. The victory now leaves China still alive for a medal and will face Australia tomorrow. The loss dropped the Philippines to last place in their pool with advancement to a medal game now ruled out.
China scored consistently against their Asian counterpart crossing the plate in five of the seven innings.
With a scoreless first, China got on board in the second scoring two runs. Yang Cao advanced to first after being struck by a pitch. A single by Jia Xu and groundout to the pitcher moved Yang to third. Two consecutive wild pitches then allowed Yang and Jia to score.
Kailin Xi hit a lead-off homer in the third. But the Philippines recorded a double play and a putout from the right fielder to get out of the inning.
Yang Cao scored again in the fourth inning after hitting a single and was batted in off the triple from Yining Liu for a 5-0 lead.
But the Philippines responded in the bottom of the inning scoring their only run of the game. Dione Macasu reached base for the lead-off single and was replaced by Lorna Adorable as a pinch-runner. A single by Angelie Ursabia and fly ball to left field moved Adorable to third. With two outs, Adorable ran home with the stolen base. Ursabia tried to sneak into home as well, but was caught to end the inning.
China continued to add to their lead by scoring two more runs in the fifth. Ying Lu got on base with a one-out single and was promptly advanced to third from a double by Dongmei Wei, who was replaced by Yao Lu. One batter later, Lisha Liang hit the innings second double to score Ying Lu and Yao Lu for a 6-1 score.
After a quiet sixth inning, China would score the team’s and game’s final run in the seventh. Ying Lu reached base through a single and after a groundout was pushed home from a single through the infield by Lisha Liang for the eventual 7-1 victory.
Winning Pitcher: Lan Wang
Losing Pitcher: Annalie Benjamen
Next Up
China: Thursday at 7:30pm vs. Australia
Philippines: Thursday at 5:00pm vs. United States
Mexico (1-1) vs. Netherlands (1-1)
3-2
Mexico defeated Netherlands 3-2, which now leaves every team in Pool C tied.
Mexico struck first and early on a two-out single by Cheyanne Terango to score Marrisa Bravo for the 1-0 lead. Netherlands then sent the minimum to the plate as Dallas Escobedo fanned two batters in the bottom of the first inning.
In the third inning, Mexico added to their tally. Maria Hernandez’s single ended Ginger De Weert’s day and was replaced by Ilona Andringa. She was able to get out the next batter who hit a grounder, but still advanced Hernandez. A defensive error and another sacrifice allowed Hernandez to score. Koral Costa punched a single to allow Bravo to cross home for the second time and a 3-0 score.
Neither team could get any offensive going over the next two innings though. And the sixth inning’s only action occurred when Chantal Versluis sailed a solo home run out of the park for the Dutch’s first run.
The Netherlands repeated this in the seventh while trying to tie the game. With two outs, Soclaina Van Gurp hit the game’s second home run to bring the game within one run. Marielle Vleugels was called into the game but grounded to short to end the game in Mexico’s favor.
Winning Pitcher: Dallas Escobedo
Losing Pitcher: Ginger De Weert
Next Up
Mexico: Thursday at 12:30pm vs. Brazil
Netherlands: TBD
Great Britain (0-3) vs. Chinese Taipei (1-2)
1-2
Chinese Taipei fought off a late rally by Great Britain to win 2-1. Both teams entered the game winless in the Championship round, leaving them out of medal contention.
Both teams were able to reach base in the first inning, but strikeouts ended each inning.
The second offered the same level of offensive. Lauren Evans hit a lead-off double but three popups ended the half inning. Yu-Ting Li reached on a one-out single but had to sit down following two straight put-outs.
A single by Evans was the only offensive either team could put together in the third.
But in the fourth, Kirsten Mack and Evans had singles to start the inning. After two infield pop-ups, Mack took matters into her own hands and stole home for the 1-0 lead. But Chinese Taipei answered when Feng-Chen Lin launched the ball out of the park for a 1-1 tied game.
Great Britain got two runners on base with one out in the fifth but two fly balls to left field ended the at-bat. With one out, Yi-Ting Yang beat out a single and advanced to second following a grounder to second base. The next pitch, Feng-Chen Lin hit a double for Chinese Taipei to take the lead after Yi-Ting Yang crossed the plate.
Ying-Hsin Lin allowed only a harmless single in the seventh as Chinese Taipei earns the 2-1 victory.
Winning Pitcher: Ying-Hsin Lin
Losing Pitcher: Georgina Corrick
Next Up
Great Britain: TBD
Chinese Taipei: TBD
Canada (1-1) vs. Puerto Rico (1-1)
10-0
Canada earned an important win to stay in playoff by defeating Puerto Rico 10-0. Larissa Franklin went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate including a key two-run triple, while Lauren Bay Regula held Puerto Rico to only two hits over five innings to earn the win in the pitcher’s circle.
Puerto Rico was the first team to get a hit by getting a two-out double by Sahvanna Jaquish in the first, but the next batter popped out to third.
Canada was able to open the scoring with a few clutch hits in the top half of the fourth, putting four runs on the board. Kaleigh Rafter led off with a single up the middle off SS Galis Lozada’s glove and was replaced by pinch runner Kyla Benz, while Jenn Salling followed with another single off the shortstop’s glove before Jen Yee singled inside the right field line to push Benz across the plate and open the scoring. With runners on the corners, Carey-Leigh Thomas hit a shallow fly ball that dropped just in front of the diving Korina Rosario to give Canada a 2-0 lead. Shortly after, Franklin drew the infield in before driving a liner over Lozado and all the way to the left-center field fence for a two-run triple to build a 4-0 lead.
Franklin was back at it again in the top of the seventh, leading the inning off with a single followed by a single by Victoria Hayward who advanced to second on the throw to third. Joey Lye dropped a bunt single to load the bases with no outs before Rafter singled in a run on a line drive that dropped in front of the center-fielder. Salling followed by chopping a ball over 1B Dayanira Diaz to plate two more runs, and Yee grounded out to second to bring another run in to score, increasing the lead to 8-0. Canada proceeded to load the bases again by getting a runner on base on a dropped third strike followed by a single before Franklin delivered a two-out, two-run single to center.
Sara Groenewegen got a strikeout and a pair of groundouts in the bottom of the seventh to close out the win.
Winning Pitcher: Lauren Bay Regula
Losing Pitcher: Meghan King
Next Up
Canada: Thursday at 7:30pm vs. Italy
Puerto Rico: Thursday at 5:30pm vs. Venezuela
United States (2-0) vs. Australia (1-1)
5-3
USA edged Australia 5-3 in a highly anticipated matchup between two strong international squads. The U.S. came out on top behind timely hitting and gutsy performances from both the offense and the pitching staff.
Australia was able to strike first in the bottom of the first after a rare pair of errors by the U.S. defense. Stacey Porter would get on base after the first fielding error of the inning before Ally Carda was able to get two quick outs with a popup and a fly ball to center. The second error of the at-bat put runner on the corners before a single by Jade Wall to left field plated Chelsea Forkin.
Trailing by one, the U.S. responded and then some in the top of the second inning to take the lead. Michelle Moultrie led off with a single, but was thrown out at second after a dropped fly ball by Amanda Chidester to center field. A walk to Kasey Cooper put two runners on before Jazmyn Jackson drilled the ball back up the middle, where it managed to continue through the infield to give Chidester enough time to score from second. A single from Haylie McCleney loaded the bases, but not for long as Stewart hit a sac fly to left field to give the U.S. a 2-1 lead.
After a pitching change for the Aussies, Valerie Arioto set the tone for USA’s third at-bat by belting a solo home run over the left field fence. Two quick outs setup the opportunity for a two-out rally, which Chidester took advantage of by blasting a ball for the second home run of the at-bat to make it a 4-1 ballgame.
The game would get interesting in the bottom of the third after another leadoff single by Porter and a hit batter put two early base runners on for Australia. This prompted Jessica Moore to enter in relief and did what she does best. Issuing strikeouts to the next three batters, Moore was able to shut down the Aussie rally with no damage done.
The game stayed at a 4-1 U.S. lead until the bottom of the fifth when Australia pushed Forkin across for another run after a string of hits.
Once again, USA responded and plated a run in the top of the seventh to regain a three-run lead. Moultrie got things going for the U.S., putting the leadoff runner on after getting hit by a pitch. After two strikeouts from Justine Smethurst, who entered in relief in the top of the third, Jackson picked up her second RBI of the game with a single to center field to bring Moultrie home.
Australia looked to get a rally going in their last at-bat of the game after a one out single by Wall was followed by a Taylah Tsitsikronis double to push Wall home. Holding a 5-3 lead, Jaclyn Traina entered the game in relief of Moore. Issuing a walk to her first batter faced, Traina quickly rebounded by getting the next two batters to popup to earn the save.
Winning Pitcher: Jessica Moore
Losing Pitcher: Vanessa Stokes
Next Up
United States: Thursday at 5:00pm vs. Philippines
Australia: Thursday at 7:30pm vs. China
PLACEMENT ROUND
Serbia (0-2) vs. Austria (3-0)
0-10 (4 innings)
Winning Pitcher: Martina Lackner
Losing Pitcher: Katarina Karic
Next Up
Serbia: TBD
Austria: TBD
Ireland (0-3) vs. Peru (3-0)
0-11 (4 innings)
Winning Pitcher: Natalie A. Csengeri
Losing Pitcher: Shawna Walsh
Next Up
Ireland: Thursday at 10:00am vs. India
Peru: Thursday at 10:00am vs. France
Guatemala (1-1) vs. Israel (1-2)
19-3 (4 innings)
Winning Pitcher: Josselline M. Solorzano
Losing Pitcher: Allison Aronovic
Next Up
Guatemala: Thursday at 12:30pm vs. Switzerland
Israel: Thursday at 10:00am vs. Israel
Switzerland (0-2) vs. Czech Republic (3-0)
1-16 (3 innings)
Winning Pitcher: Lucie Kaplarczykova
Losing Pitcher: Corina Grass
Next Up
Switzerland: Thursday at 12:30pm vs. Guatemala
Czech Republic: Thursday at 10:00am vs. Czech Republic
Kenya (0-2) vs. Uganda (1-1)
2-9 (5 innings)
Winning Pitcher: Esther Nakabugo
Losing Pitcher: Janet A. Okumu
Next Up
Kenya: TBD
Uganda: TBD