Thursday, 25 July, was Great Britain’s doubleheader day at the WBSC U18 Women’s Softball World Cup Group A in Sao Paolo, Brazil, with back-to-back games against Chinese Taipei and Colombia. The GB ladies were able to split the day, dropping a one-sided contest to Chinese Taipei before winning an 8-1 run-rule victory over Colombia in game two.
GB faced Chinese Taipei in their first game, who entered with a perfect three wins, no losses record.
Taipei sent Yi-Ting Chou to the circle to start and, after giving up a single to leadoff batter Jessica Chan, she promptly retired the GB side with a strikeout. GB started Elena Clark-Wilson in the circle, and Chinese Taipei jumped out to a quick lead, scoring three times in the first, and chasing Clar-Wilson in the second. Clark-Wilson was replaced by Kailyn Haig, and Taipei added 2 more runs, holding a 5-0 lead after the first two frames. Despite a Jenna Thompson single in the third, GB could not score, and Chinese Taipei plated two more runs to bring the score to eight to nothing. While GB’s Georgia Wilson settled things down in the circle, GB’s bats could not wake up, and Taipei scored twice more to bring their lead to 10-0, and cause the 10-rune ahead rule to be enforced in the fourth inning.
The second game of the day for GB was a must-win if they wanted to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot….and win GB did!
Kailyn Haig got the start for GB, who were the home team for the second game and shut down Colombia with a pair of strikeouts in the first inning to set the tone. While GB’s offence threatened with two on and two out in the first, they were unable to score. Colombia strung together back-to-back singles against Haig in the second, but she was able to battle back with a five-pitch strikeout to end the threat.
The GB half of the second inning got off to a high-energy start as Sydney Teague led off with a stand-up triple, followed by a Kaitlyn Parisi walk. With runners on the corners, Parisi stole second and, when the Colombian catcher unsuccessfully tried to throw her out, Teague stole home for the first run of the game. Hannah Bingaman then lined out to shortstop, but a Colombian throwing error allowed Parisi to advance, first to third, and then home. Great Britain took their 2-0 advantage to the third inning, with Haig providing a 1-2-3 frame in the circle, and Thompson kept the pressure on with a one-out single in the home half. Mia Krueger then drew a walk, followed by a Molly Blackwood fielder’s choice before Teague’s second RBI hit of the game plated Thompson to extend the GB lead. Parisi then stepped up and plated Blackwood with a single, and GB led 4-0 after three innings.
Colombia was stymied yet again in the top of the fourth with another three up, three down performance by Haig. GB’s half of the fourth saw Lily Bell and Jessica Chan start off with back-to-back singles, followed up by a double steal to put runners at third and second, respectively. Captain Cara Edwards, then hit the second pitch of her at bat into center field for a two-run double. Two batters later, Krueger doubled to centre to score Edwards, and Great Britain led 7-0.
Colombia finally broke through offensively with a two-out, two-strike double down in the visitor’s half of the fifth inning, extending the game, but Great Britain would put things away in the bottom half of the fifth. Lilly Bell drove a one-out single into left field, followed by a Jessica Chan hit to send the speedy Bell to third. A throwing error by Colombia allowed Bell to score, thus ending the game in the fifth on the seven-run-ahead mercy rule.
Following Thursday’s play, Great Britain has a 2-2 record and will play New Zealand today, Friday, 26 July, at 8 PM BST in their final opening-round game. Watch the tournament on Gametime here.
Photos: Neil Teague