Photo from Friday (17.7)'s game courtesy of the WBSC
Great Britain’s Women’s Senior National Softball Team finished in fourth place at the 2026 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup – Group Lima, following a 7-3 defeat to Venezuela in the Playoff game.
Jasmine Francik got the start in the circle for Great Britain, and Venezuela jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first before Francik settled the game, tossing consecutive scoreless innings in the second, third and fourth.
Great Britain’s offence was able to score in the fourth. Tia Warsop was hit by a pitch, took second on a fielder’s choice, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch to get GBR on the board, and cut the deficit to two.
Venezuela, however, was not done, and a four-run fifth inning put the South American side ahead 7-1. While Georgina Corrick was able to keep Venezuela off the scoreboard again, Great Britain were unable to score again until the seventh. With one out, Mia Krueger singled and was replaced on the basepaths by Laura Hirai. Hirai was retired on a fielder’s choice by Jenna Thompson, before Jess Chan slashed a ball down the right field line for an inside-the-park two-run home run. Great Britain, however, were unable to score again, with the final 7-3.
Great Britain’s next competition will be the 2027 European Championship in Stuttgart, Germany, from 25-31 July 2027. Both a fourth consecutive continental medal and a spot in the LA28 Women's Softball Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier 2027 in Barcelona on the line. Details for both competitions will be announced in due course.
Follow the Great Britain Women’s Team on social media @GBWomenSoftball on X, Instagram, and TikTok, at facebook.com/GBWomenSoftball, and on the British Softball Federation website, britishsoftball.org.