IX WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup-Group B Day 5: Japan, Chinese Taipei and Venezuela advance to Finals 2024

The fifth and final day of the IX WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup-Group B, presented by CARNEXT, assigned the last two tickets to the 2024 Final Stage.

With defending champions Japan having claimed on Saturday the first ticket to the Finals 2024 - which will take place in Thunder Bay, Canada - Chinese Taipei defeated France on Sunday to finish second and earn the second ticket.

"We are delighted," commented Chinese Taipei captain Yu Ying Hsieh. "I hope our accomplishment will convince every girl in Taiwan to try baseball. My message to all the women is to forget the message that men play baseball and women play softball. This World Cup showed how good women's baseball can be."

Manager Mig Huei Huang added: " "I sincerely hope that there will be more domestic and international women's baseball tournaments in the future, so the players have more opportunities to play the sport they truly love."

Venezuela shut out Puerto Rico to earn the third Finals 2024 ticket after starting pitcher Frandelis Garcia threw a complete game shutout and batted in two runs.

"I thank God for this opportunity to represent my country," said Garcia after the Ticket Punch ceremony. "I had a lot of confidence in my team and my manager Carlos Torres. Of course, I also have a lot of confidence in my arm and my bat."

"Frandelis came here as our cleanup hitter and the staff's ace. She started the first game, and then I spared her for this last game. As our cleanup hitter, I believe she had enough responsibility," commented manager Carlos Ferrer.

Japan, the defending Women's Baseball World Champions, beat Cuba in Group B's final game in front of an impressive crowd of 2,700.

Day 5 Results

Venezuela-Puerto Rico 3-0

Frandelis Garcia threw a complete game shutout and batted in two runs to lead Venezuela to the win and a ticket for the 2024 Finals.

Venezuela scored in the bottom of the first against Puerto Rico's ace Janiliz Rivera. They grounded into a double play with runners at second and first and no one out.

Srishna Arciniega reached third on the play and scored on pitcher Frandelis Garcia's RBI single.

A fine running catch by left fielder Alanis Rodriguez took Puerto Rico out of the at-bat.

Klara Resto started a double play in the bottom of the first and prevented Puerto Rico to build a scoring opportunity.

Shrishna Arciniega led off the fifth with a base hit. Catcher Mariana Valdez bunted to thirdn and reached second on the throwing error. Venezuela added two runs on a sacrifice bunt by Esquia Rengel and an RBI infield single by Garcia.

Garcia retired Puerto Rican shortstop Adrix Paradizo to escape a bases-loaded threat in the bottom of the fifth.

Garcia hit Torres to lead off the seventh. Luz Feliciano singled with two outs, bringing the potential tying run, shortstop Adrix Paradizo, to the box. Right fielder Abril Martin ran a long distance to catch the deep fly ball Paradizo delivered on the second pitch she saw and ended the game.

Venezuela received their pass to the 2024 Finals during the WBSC Ticket Punch ceremony.

Chinese Taipei-France 15-5

France was off a good start and took a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the third, before Chinese Taipei reversed the lead with a seven-run rally on their way to a five-inning win.

The start of the game was delayed five minutes for extra pitching mound maintenance.

France scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded and one-ount sacrifice bunt by Lena Sellam.

Chinese Taipei scored the tying run against starter Cassandra Vigneau on a two-out RBI single by Hsiao Mei Chen.

Lisa Papoin led off the second with a triple to left field and scored on a bunt by Nahya Nguyen-Armengaud to put France ahead again. Yu Ying Hsieh got Chinese Taipei out of the at-bat with a diving catch.

France extended the lead on reliever Yu Chian Tu. Youna Pean hit a bases-loaded triple to make it 5-1.

Chinese Taipei reversed the lead with a seven-run rally in the bottom of the third. Yu-Ying Hsieh got to Vigneau with a two-RBI triple and the tuing run scored on a sacrifice fly.

Chen Youn Chang and Chiao Chi Lai got to reliever Leonie Pauthe with an RBI single and gave Chinese Taipei an 8-5 lead.

Chinese Taipei broke the score open with five more runs on four doubles by Yu-Ying Hsieh, Chia Fang Wu, Yu Chuan Tu and Yu Hsuan Chen in the bottom of the fourth.

Chinese Taipei added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game by the run-difference rule. Yu-Hsuan Chen provided the walk-off run with a double.

After the game, Chinese Taipei were awarded the second ticket for the 2024 Finals.

Japan-Cuba 10-0

Japan took a quick lead and closed the last game of group B in six innings.

Japan took a quick lead. Cuba's starter, Yoannet Dominguez, hit the leadoff hitter, and Iori Mirua and Yuiki Kawabata followed with back-to-back singles. A base hit by Yukina Izumi and an error helped Cuba score three runs.

Haruna Tadano hit a leadoff triple to centre field in the top of the second and scored on Yaya Kojima's single.

Japan broke the score open with a four-ran third at-bat, capped by a bases-clearing triple by star first base player Yuki Kawabata.

They added the runs they needed to close the game by the run-difference rule on a triple by Kae Iwami in the fourth and a single by Akari Hoshikawa in the sixth.

Akino Tanaka went three innings and limited Cuba to one hit and one walk. Arisa Hotta and Mika Tai took care of the fourth while reigning Women's Baseball World Cup MVP Ayami Sato pitched two perfect innings to close the game.

• On Day 4: Japan punch ticket for 2024 World Championship Finals
• On Day 3: Japan and Chinese Taipei one step close to Finals 2024
• On Day 2: Japan and Chinese Taipei stay undefeated
• First Lady Yuko Kishida threw ceremonial first pitch
• On Day 1: Japan, Venezuela and Chinese Taipei win
• Miyoshi City welcome reception
• The pre-tournament press conference
• How to watch Women's Baseball World Cup Group B
• The IX Women's Baseball World Cup Group B by the numbers
• Miyoshi City will host the IX Women's Baseball World Cup Group B
• Ten things to know about the IX Women's Baseball World Cup Group B
• Women's Baseball continues to thrive in Japan
• USA, Canada and Mexico earned their spot in the World Championship phase