One year ago: USA three-peats as U-19 Women’s Softball World Champion
Francesca Hammoude’s three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning ignited a 4-3, come-from behind victory for USA to clinch their seventh overall world title. The WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup was played in Irvine, California, USA, from 10-17 August 2019 at Bill Barber Park.
One year ago today, USA defeated Japan 4-3 in the final of the WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Championship 2019, in one in one of the most exciting WBSC games of the year. Francesca Hammoude stepped up to the batter box with two runners on and her National Team trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the eighth. She drove the third pitch she saw beyond the left-field fence for a game-tying home run. Two batters later USA walked off Japan to claim their third consecutive U-19 Women’s Softball World Championship.
On Saturday, 10 August 2019, the U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup, the highest youth international competition in our sport, opened in Irvine, California, USA. The top 16 teams in the world competed at Bill Barber Memorial Park, For the Title of World Champion.
The teams were divided into four groups. After the three-day Opening Round, the top two teams in each group advanced to the Super Round. Nations finishing third and fourth place in the Opening Round played the Placement Round.
This event marked the first time a Super Round was played in softball world championship history.
After 61 games, USA and Japan proved to be the top two teams in the tournament and faced each other in the World Championship Game. USA reached the final as the only undefeated team, while Japan finished the Super Round with a 6-1 record.
The game went to an extra-innings after the scores were tied at 0-0 after seven innings. With Japan leading 3-0 after the top of the frame, pinch hitter Hammoude tied it on a monster home run. Charla Echols followed with a two-out stand up triple and scored the World Championship run on a slow roller by Jasmine Freed.
It was the third consecutive U-19 softball world title for USA, and seventh in history. It’s the first time a nation three-peated as a junior women’s softball world champion. Japan earned their seventh silver medal ever.
In the Bronze Medal Game Canada beat Australia, 5-4, to earn the WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup third place. Canada had never won a medal at the U-19 women’s world level.
