Day two of the WBSC U18 Softball World Cup Group A saw Great Britain take on the hosts, Brazil. Elena Clark–Wilson took the rubber for GB’s second game of the tournament and GB rode her arm for 7 strong innings in a 2-1 walk-off nailbiter.
Clark-Wilson set down Brazil in the top of the first inning with a ground out and two strikeouts.
After Jenna Thompson got on base by way of a one-out error, Brazil’s hurler, Maria Yatsu Goncalves Pedroso, answered with two strikeouts of her own to close out GB’s first inning at the plate.
The second inning saw Brazil’s first two batters retired on a fly-out and ground out, respectively. The next two Brazil hitters successfully reached base, only to be stranded as Clark-Wilson won a six-pitch battle sitting down Brazil’s # 9 hitter.
In GB’s home half of the inning, GB scored their first run of the game and the tournament when Mia Krueger singled and Molly Blackwood drove her home with a double to left centre field. Blackwood promptly stole third but would advance no further.
Brazil answered in the top of the third with a run of their own, and GB threatened to score in the bottom of the inning by virtue of a one-out single by Cara Edwards followed up by Amy Hartle being hit by a pitch. However, the next two hitters were retired to end the threat.
Brazil led off the top of the fourth inning with a single to centre field, but could not muster up a threat as Clark-Wilson controlled the next three hitters by way of a strikeout and back-to-back fly outs. GB’s bottom of the fourth was a quiet one as GB’s bats went three up, three down.
The top of the fifth saw Brazil threaten with a runner on third with two outs, only to be stymied yet again by Clark-Wilson’s strong pitching as the third out of the inning was a three-pitch strikeout to strand the runner.
In GB’s fifth inning, Jenna Thompson lined the second pitch she saw off the centre field fence for a one-out double. Brazil went to the pen as Amanda Handa entered the game and immediately struck out the next two hitters with the help of a strong rise ball, stranding Thompson.
Both teams traded three up, three down half innings in the sixth.
Brazil opened up their half of the seventh inning with a single on the first pitch of the inning. The next Brazil hitter laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt to put the potential go-ahead run on second with one out. Clark-Wilson shut down the next two Brazilian hitters to strand the runner on second, and GB headed to the bottom of the seventh with a chance to win.
Kaitlyn Parisi reached base on an error with one out to put the possible winning run aboard. The Brazilian pitch, Handa, struck out the next GB hitter on four pitches and then walked Thompson on five pitches. This brought GB Captain Cara Edwards to the plate with two on and two out. Edwards drove the second pitch she saw off the right centre field wall – within inches of going out of the park - for the walk-off win.
Edwards finished the game with two hits on four at bats and Clark-Wilson pitched a complete game masterpiece surrendering just one run on 4 hits, three walks and five strikeouts.
On Thursday, 25 July, GB faces off with Chinese Taipei at 10 am local time and Columbia at 1 pm local time. Both games can be watched on Gametime here.
Photos: Neil Teague