The United States U-18 team captured the championship trophy Sunday afternoon at the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup in Lima, Peru, but it didn’t come easy as Team USA had to pull out the win in the bottom of the 7th on a one-out RBI single by Valerie Cagle to plate the only run in the championship finale.
This, the day after the USA team had run-ruled Chinese Taipei 9-2 in six innings to get the right to be the home team.
Cagle was also the star in the circle for the Red, White & Blue as she went all seven innings allowing just four hits while striking out 13 in the shutout masterpiece. Hsia-Ai Ke took the loss, giving up six hits while striking out five in 6.1 innings.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!
USA beats Chinese Taipei in the World Championship Final!! 🏆🥎 pic.twitter.com/DXv1qyxTsd
— WBSC #WorldSoftballDay 🥎 (@WBSCsoftball) December 12, 2021
USA finished the event 8-0 to capture Gold while Chinese Taipei fell to 7-1 to take home the Silver Medal. Earlier Puerto Rico defeated Mexico 4- to win the Bronze.
After a scoreless contest heading into the bottom of the 7th, Olivia Johnson, the clean-up hitter, singled to lead off the bottom of the 7th and was replaced by pinch runner Karli Spaid.
Valerie Zavodnik walked to put runners on first and second, but a nice defensive player by Chinese Taipei’s third baseman Yu-Zhen Deng got the lead runner at third on a sac bunt attempt by Maci Bergeron.
Thus, with one out, the table was set for Cagle’s game—and event-winning—single to left field that plated Zavodnik to give USA the win.
The Americans had six hits on the game with Johnson and Cagle both going 2-for-3. Yi-Hsuan Chiu, batting second in the lineup for Chinese Taipei, went 2-for 3 in a losing cause.
We will more on today’s action later on Extra Inning Softball…
