13/07/2023 3 Minute Read

WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Group A - Day 3: USA pip Australia in thrilling tiebreaker; Wins also for Great Britain, Chinese Taipei & Australia (against Botswana)

Day three of the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Group A saw Australia beat Botswana first up followed by Chinese Taipei also beating Botswana before USA won in extras against Australia and Great Britain beat Ireland.

The third day of the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Group A in Balbriggan, Ireland saw another day of great games headlined by the defending champions USA beating Australia in a 1-0 thriller in the eighth inning.

Day 3 Results

Australia v Botswana 10-0 Box Score/Play By Play Highlights
Botswana v Chinese Taipei 0-10 Box Score/Play by Play Highlights
Australia v United States 0-1 Box Score/Play by Play Highlights
Ireland v Great Britain 0-7 Box Score/Play by Play Highlights

With one day of pool play remaining, USA and Great Britain stand on top of the standings with three wins from three games.

Don't forget to follow to watch all the action, live on the WBSC OTT Channel, GameTime.

Photos of the Day

Ireland v Great Britain

The one all the home fan have been waiting for, Ireland (one win and two defeats) taking on Great Britain (two wins from two games).

Tidy work from both teams across the first two innings before a call out at the plate sparked Great Britain's offence. Sydney Brown charged home from third on Kendyl Scott's punch to left field but was called out on a superb throw Niamh Dougherty.

What ensued was a GB procession. Tia Warsop, Scott, Georgina Corrick thanks to Scott who then was running for Corrick, Morgan Salmon, Katie Burge all scoring with Burge's triple to left field bringing home Alana Snow and Jessica Chan. Great Britain lead 7-0 in the bottom of the third and it remained that way until the fifth, with the game over due to the Run Ahead Rule.

Australia v USA

The first big game of the day with world No. 9 Australia playing world No. 1 and defending champions USA. Australia beat Botswana in the first game of the day to collect their second win out of three games in the tournament. USA have beaten Chinese Taipei and Botswana in their two games to date.

Great defensive from both sides is dominating the game early on.

And the teams cant be separated after seven innings. Into the first tiebreaker of the tournament.

And it's Hannah Flippen who is the hero.

After Australia couldn't take advantage of the runner on second, USA were more clinical at their turn at bat. Nicole Bates bunts and gets Maya Ann Timmons to third before Flippen hits into left field to spark US celebrations.

Botswana v Chinese Taipei

Botswana play their second game of the day, back to back, taking on world No. 3 Chinese Taipei.

Yi-Ting Yang opened the scoring for Chinese Taipei in the first inning, followed by Feng-Chen Lin, Hsuan Liu and Chia-Yi Chen crossing home plate. The pitching change by Botswana with Wangu Gondo did the trick and kept it to 4-0 to Chinese Taipei.

Chia-Yun Chang scored in the start of the second on the back of a Feng-Chen Lin triple to centre field before Lin scored again on a Liu sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 6-0 after two.

Lin Chih-Ying and Chia-Hui Ko both scored before Chang beat Bonolo Molefe in left field to score an inside the park homer down the left field line. She nearly caught Yi-Hsuan Su round the bases as they both scored to make it 10-0 after three.

Australia v Botswana

The sun is out, the teams are on the field and the first game of the day is underway.

Botswana, ranked 43rd in the world, looking for their first win of the tournament having lost to Ireland and USA so far while world No. 9 Australia have a loss to Great Britain and a win over Ireland to their name. This is the first game of a double header for Botswana with a game against Chinese Taipei to follow.

Perfect start for Australia with Taylah Tsitsikronis scoring Philippa Adkins with a single to left field and they go 1-0 up with no outs. Hayley Bonython, Tsitsikronis, Kylie Steemers, Clare Warwick score before Adkins up again at bat, hits deep to left field to score an inside the park home run, scoring Belinda White and Olivia Kuzminski to make it 8-0 to the Australians.

Lesego Ditau, in her first appearance of the tournament, is in the pitcher's circle for Botswana and eventually draws the Australian's first inning to a close with Tsitsikronis skying to Tshegofatso Gaetepele at first base.

Kandra Lamb is pitching for Australia for the first time in this tournament as well and although there's one hit from Gaetepele to deep centre field, she keeps Botswana scoreless in the first.

Jade Wall scored off a Stacey McManus single to right centre field to stretch the lead to 9-0 in the second inning.

Steemers scored again in the fourth to make it 10-0 and that was the game with Australia winning by the Run Ahead Rule.

Pregame

Day three has dawned fine and the forecast for Thursday is for it to continue with a high of 18 degrees. Here's hoping the rain predicted this evening stays away for the big game of the day - Ireland v Great Britain - at 18:30.

First time the new two-stage format is being used in a WBSC tournament.
First time that Ireland hosts a WBSC tournament.
New sustainable Mizuno ball - the M170 - in play.
Six teams participating in three groups. Top two teams from Group A “punch a ticket” to the Finals next year. Learn more about the tournament format here.
World No. 1 and 12-time champions USA lead the field in Ireland with world No. 9 Australia, No. 3 Chinese Taipei, No. 16 Great Britain, No. 17 Ireland and No. 43 Botswana also in action. Check out the tournament preview.