WORLD GAMES WEDNESDAY
Canada vs China
Japan vs Netherlands
Guatemala vs Chinese Taipei
Australia vs USA
USA vs Netherlands
Guatemala vs Canada
Australia vs Chinese Taipei
China vs Japan
This report will be updated throughout the day
AUSTRALIA 10, GUATEMALA 0
(FROM LATE Tuesday)
The Australians banged out 8 hits, drew 3 walks, and benefited from two errors – in a game which lasted 4.5 innings. Catherine Bishop and Aimee Murch pitched the shutout.
Australia scored 2 runs in the 1st. Leah Quackenbush reached on an error by the pitcher; Stacey Ritter singled her home. Ritter scored when Lauren Rose’s grounder was misplayed at 2nd.
Sarah Croxford led the 2nd with a single. With one out, Quackenbush singled, Ritter hit an rbi double; Sarah Tutchener hit an rbi double; and Ursula Lundberg tripled. 5 runs.
Croxford reached again to start the 3rd and scored on Quackenbush’ sacrifice fly.
Australia scored its final two runs, and reached the run rule, in the bottom of the 4th. Tutchener led off with a double; Lundberg walked. With two out, KYM Turnell doubled in both runs.
Guatemala went down in order in the 5th. (RFH)
CANADA 4, CHINA 0
Katie Rosentreter one-hit the Chinese, while her teammates tagged Zhang Lixia, China’s pitcher in the 2004 Olympics, for the only run needed in the bottom of the 2nd – and scored three more runs in the 5th. China used three pitchers but couldn’t overcome the Canadians hitting and their three errors (plus three dropped fouls). China’s Li Yue singled to start the 3rd for their only hit.
Canada’s Melanie Mathews doubled to start the bottom of the 1st but was stranded. In the 2nd, Noemie Marin led off with a single, and scored with two out when Janiva Willis’ grounder was misplayed – the shortstop heaved the ball over 1st.
Canada’s big rally started the same way – the Chinese shortstop heaving a ball hit by Willis over 1st. Tiffany Patteson followed with a hit, and Mathews slashed an rbi single. Katy VanDeveire bunted for a hit to load the bases. Tamra Howren flied out to short. Cambria McKay’s squeeze bunt was misplayed at 3rd, and, while the Chinese 3rd baseman looked for the ball, which skipped away from her, two runs scored.
Only one Chinese batter reached base after the 3rd – an error at 2nd in the 5th. RFH
USA 2, AUSTRALIA 1
The USA out to a 1-0 lead to start the game.
Leadoff Vicky Galindo walked. With one out, Andrea Duran singled. Sara Dean hit a chopper which glanced off the glove of Aussie pitcher Catherine Bishop, and Galindo scored. Australia threatened in the bottom of the 1st. Leah Quackenbush beat out an infield hit to short. With two out, Sarah Tutchener singled for the second hit but Ursula Lundberg grounded to 2nd.
Caitlin Benyi singled for the USA, and Aussie Kym Turnell was hit by a pitch in the 2nd; otherwise, both teams went down in order. The USA went down routinely in the 3rd; Kate Quigley bunted for a hit but was stranded.
The USA put two runners on in the 4th – Sara Dean reached on an error at short, and Heather Scaglione singled to center. Both were cut down by Aussie catcher Kym Turnell, trying to steal 2nd. Australia also put to on in the 4th. Turnell was hit by a pitch for the second time, and Dannielle Curtois reached on an error by Benyi at 2nd. Keiter struck out Amanda Smith to end the inning.
At the end of five, each team had three hits.
The USA struck again in the 6th. Galindo drew a second leadoff walk. Norelle Dickson sacrificed her to 2nd. Andrea Duran walked. Then, Sara Dean ripped a double to left center, Galindo scoring. Australia brought in Aimee Murch. Scaglione grounded to shortstop Kate Quigley (a cannon of an arm); Quigley fired to Turnell for the out at home. Benyi grounded out to short. 2-0.
Australia went down in order in the 6th, Keiter recording her 6th strikeout.
Three up and down for the USA in the 7th.
Turnell opened the bottom of the 7th with a single to right; Jennifer Dunn into run. Curtois sacrificed her to 2nd. Sarah Croxford came on to pinch-hit and singled to right, the 5th Aussie hit. With the tying runs on base, Alicia Hollowell was brought into relieve Keiter. Quigley bunted for a hit; Hollowell fielded with Duran up, but Benyi had moved toward 2nd, and no one covered – bases loaded, one out. Leah Quackenbush singled, driving in the run (2-1). Hollowell stuck out Stacey Ritter. Two down. Hollowell then struck out Sarah Tutchener to preserve the 1-0 victory.
JAPAN 4, NETHERLANDS 0
CHINESE TAIPEI 17, GUATEMALA 0
POTPOURRI
The USA-Australia game my well have included a number of players who will compete again for their national teams. USA Softball holds a national team training camp in January (invitation only). Australia will hold a national championship in January. Each state sends a team, and, the softball federation chooses the next national team based on performance in the championship.
USA 2, NETHERLANDS 0
This game marks pitcher Amy Harre’s first appearance on a $SA national team. The Southern Illinois senior tossed a four-hitter against the Australian Elite team at the Worth Cup this past summer, pitching for the Carbondale Cougars. USA Softball interest in Amy intensified this summer when she was clocked consistently at 70mph, with a change which curves at 58mph.
Harre put those skills and speed to work today, limiting the Netherlands to four hits. However, when Noemi Boekel reached on an error and Maaldes Fellinger followed with a hard single to right, USA Coach Jay Miller did not hesitate to bring in Monica Abbott to put out the fire, striking out two and inducing a fly to right.
The USA scored both runs in the 5th. Jodie Legaspi jacked a home run over the left field fence. Catalina Morris followed with a single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrea Duran. Sara Dean followed with a single but was stranded.
The USA had seven hits, two by Norelle Dickson, whose sac bunt had moved Morris into scoring position. Morris had two hits; Legaspi, Emily Zaplatosch and Dean the other hits. Lisa Dodd was robbed of an extra base hit by Natalie Gosewehr’s running, diving catch in center field.
Amy Harre pitching; Caitlin Benyi at 2nd
Jodie Legaspi at SS; Vicky Galindo at 3rd
Emily Zaplatosch behind the plate
|
|
|
|
|
AUSTRALIA 3, CHINESE TAIPEI 2
Australia knocked Chinese Taipei from the ranks of the unbeaten.
The Aussies scored twice in the 4th. Sarah Tutchener reached on a hit deep to short. A sacrifice by Ursula Lundberg advanced Sarah to 2nd and she stole 3rd. Lauren Rose was safe on an error – untypically, the Chinese committed 7 errors. Tutchener then scored on a delayed double steal. After a single by Sarah Croxford, Rose scored on a single by Lauren Daykin.
Australia scored an insurance run, which proved to be needed, in the 5th. Kate Quigley reached on an error but was eliminated on a fielder’s choice hit by Leah Quackenbush. Quigley scored on a groundout by Tutchener.
Jocelyn McCallum had runners on in virtually every inning, and was saved in the 3rd when Quigley triggered a double play. The Chinese loaded the bases in the bottom of the 4th on a single and two walks, and executed their own double steal. Aimee Murch relieved and Australia had a brief respite. In the 5th, Chinese Taipei scored twice, once on a groundout and then on a double by Li Chui-Ching. A strikeout ended the rally.
CANADA 10, GUATEMALA 0
Sarah Belanger pitched the only perfect game of the tournament, striking out 8 of the 15 batters she faced.
The Canadians racked 11 hits, including a 3-run homer in the 3rd by Katy Vandeveire – the key hit in a 5-run barrage. The Canadians had posted 4 runs in the 1st.
JAPAN 6, CHINA 0
Japan racked 10 hits, scoring 2nd, 2 in the 5th, and 2 in the 6th.