Canada join USA, Japan and Netherlands in Women's Softball World Cup Finals Super Round
The final day of the Opening Round of the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024 in Castions di Strada, Italy on Wednesday had a dramatic ending with Canada beating Italy, 5-4, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh, to clinch a Super Round spot ahead of the hosts.
Both sides had a one-win, one-loss record going into Wednesday's last game of the Opening Round with the winner guaranteed to progress through to the Super Round.
And it went down to the wire with world No. 6 Italy coming three outs short of a historic Women's Softball World Cup result - the Azzurre have never finished among the top four - as they were leading 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh before world No. 5 Canada - the bronze medallists from 2016 & 2018 - scored twice to win 5-4 and joined USA, Japan and the Netherlands in the Super Round.
Earlier in the day, Olympic champions Japan beat European champs the Netherlands 4-3 on a walk-off slap single by pinch hitter Shiho Suto. defending champions USA beat China 6-0 and world No. 2 Puerto Rico beat Australia, No 10 in the world, 5-1.
Japan and the United States will head into the Super Round with a 1-0 record, while the Netherlands and Australia will start from 0-1.
Canada-Italy 5-4
At the end of a dramatic game, World No. 5 Canada beat No. 6 Italy and earned the fourth and final spot for the Super Round. The hosts took a 4-3 lead and came three outs short of history.
Dawn Bodrug started the game for Canada, while Italy picked Alice Nicolini.
Italian Minister of Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi threw the ceremonial first pitch.
Italy scored the go-ahead run in the top of the second. Andrea Filler scored from first on a line-drive double off the wall in right field by Elisa Cecchetti.
Canada reversed the lead in the bottom half of the frame. With Janet Leung at second, Caitlyn Wong at first and no one out, Erika Piancastelli got Grace Messmer on a flyout. The runners advanced on the play and scored on Zoe Hicks' single.
Italy struck right back. Isabella Dayton led off the third with a base hit, stole second, reached third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrea Filler. Marta Gasparotto put Italy back on top, crushing a double off the left field wall and scoring pinch runner Alessandra Rotondo from second.
Canada handed the ball to Morgan Rackel in the top of the fourth. The reliever got herself out of trouble catching a hard-hit comebacker by Dayton with a runner in scoring position.
Kelsey Harshman tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out RBI single.
Italy failed to execute a squeeze play in the top of the fifth and lost Erika Piancastelli between third base and home. Rackel got out of a bases loaded jam getting Giulia Longhi on a pop
Pilgrim led off the bottom of the fifth with a double that sent Nicolini to the showers. Italy gave the ball to Alexia Lacatena, who got out of the inning.
Italy took another lead in the top of the sixth. Melanie Sheldon scored from third on a hard-hit grounder by Erica Piancastelli that went off the Hicks' glove at first base.
Canada gave the ball to Sara Groenewegen in the top of the seventh.
Canada's first three batters singled in the bottom of the seventh. Pilgrim scored the tying run, and Wong stepped to the plate with runners at third and second. She lined Lacatena's fifth pitch, sending Franklyn home for the winning run.
Japan-Netherlands 4-3
World No. 8 Netherlands took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth, but No. 3 Japan came back to tie it in the bottom half of the frame and walked it off in the bottom of the seventh on a one-out slap hit by pinch hitter Shiho Suto. Japan heads undefeated to the Super Round. The Netherlands will lead off with an 0-1 record.
Japan chose Miu Goto to start the game, while the Netherlands opted for Jessie Van Aalst.
Brenda Beers led off the third with a base hit. Goto walked the next batter and left for Sakura Miwa. The Netherlands bunted the runners to third and second, and Suka Van Gurp singled up the middle to give the Netherlands a 2-0 lead. Wissink followed with a blooper to shallow centre field to make it 3-0.
The Dutch wouldn't stop. Cindy Van der Zanden drove a two-strike pitch to centre field for an RBI single. Japan gave the call to Yukiko Ueno in the bullpen.
The 42-year-old two-time Olympic gold medallist got out of the inning by striking out the side.
Urara Fujimoto gave Japan the first runner of the game as she bunted for the hit with one out in the bottom of the third. She reached third with two outs, but Van Aalst got out of the inning on a groundout.
Japan tried to score on a double steal with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Birgit Vonk tagged Eri Shimoyama for the out before Kyoko Ishikawa could score.
Japan got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. With runners at second and first and no one out, Eri Shimoyama drove the eighth pitch of a long duel into the gap to right-centre to put Japan on the scoreboard and cut the Dutch lead to 3-2.
The Netherlands replaced Van Aalst with Lisa Hop. Shimoyama reached third on a groundout and scored the tying run on Kanna Kudo's infield single.
Japan stayed in the game thanks to great defence.
The Olympic champions walked it off in the bottom of the seventh. Yume Kiriishi led off the bottom of the second with a base hit. Japan got her to third with the small ball and pinch hitter Shiho Suto sent her home on a slap hit to shortstop.
Puerto Rico-Australia 5-1
World No. 2 Puerto Rico earned the first win defeating No. 10 Australia. Puerto Rico will start the Placement Round with a 1-0 record, while Australia will take off from 0-1.
Aleshia Ocasio started for Puerto Rico, while Australia chose Ellen Roberts.
Puerto Rico took the lead in the bottom of the first. Jena Pratte hit a one-out RBI single to give the Boricua their first lead in the tournament.
Puerto Rico added two runs in the bottom of the third. Alanah Rivera scored on a sacrifice fly by Karla Claudio, ending Roberts' game.
With reliever Kandra Lamb pitching and two outs, Jenna Pratte stole home to extend Puerto Rico's lead to 3-0.
Puerto Rico opened the score in the bottom of the fourth. Lamb hit two batters with the bases loaded to make it a 5-0 game.
Shaylan Whatman batted in Australia's only run with a double off the wall in right field in the bottom of the seventh.
USA-China 6-0
World No. 1 USA completed their Opening Round with a shut-out win over China. The defending World Champions allowed only two runners.
China gave the ball to Yinan Chai, USA responded with Ally Carda.
USA thrived on Chai's wild start and scored two runs on base hits by Jocelyn Alo and Savhanna Jaquish.
Alo hit an RBI double in the top of the second and the defending World Champions added a run on a base hit by Jessie Warren.
China relieved Chai with Yuchen Wei in the top of the third. Maya Brady got to her with a two-out RBI double to make it 5-0 in the top of the third.
After throwing 2.1 perfect innings, Carda allowed Zixuan Dong China's first hit in the bottom of the third.
Rachel Garcia took over for Carda in the bottom of the fifth.
The USA defence supported the pitching staff.
USA added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Maya Brady.
