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The Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2024 will see several of the top softball teams/countries in the world compete for the global title next July in Italy.
Before today, we knew who four of the group of eight would be:
- Teams USA and Australia qualified in Group A action two weeks ago
- … and Group B last week saw two more teams make the cut in Puerto Rico and Netherlands.
Group C wrapped up its final day of play on Wednesday and we know now who secured the last two spots… but first, a look at who won’t be playing in the 2024 World Cup.
Earlier on Wednesday, Venezuela topped New Zealand to decide 5th and 6th places and Italy—the host country for this week’s competition—defeated the Philippines to advance to the finale.
Early on, however, the early winner of the last day of Group C was the weather, as the much-anticipated battle between Japan and Canada was delayed first because of rain in the bottom of the 1st and then about 35 minutes due to lightning, but ultimately resume it did… and once it started, wow!
Japan and Canada claim Group C tickets to the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2024; Italy and China advance as two wild cards with Group Stage now complete
Olympic champions Japan and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Canada “punched tickets” to the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2024 after finishing first and second respectively at the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group C tournament in Buttrio and Castions di Strada, Italy on Wednesday.
Group C completes a trilogy of tournaments in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage which also saw defending world champions USA and Australia advance from Group A in Ireland and world No. 4 Puerto Rico and European champions the Netherlands book tickets in Group B in Spain.
The remaining two spots for the Finals 2024 went to Italy and China as the highest placed third-placed team across the three groups from the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup 2018 (Italy finished 7th, China 10th and Great Britain 11th).
🇨🇳👏 China to the Finals!
🃏 Congratulations on earning a Wild Card! #SoftballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/Iz2MXm5iie
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 26, 2023
Earlier in the day, Japan beat Canada in the final of Group C 7-1 while Italy beat the Philippines in the playoff for third and fourth 6-5 in another pulsating game. Venezuela and New Zealand started the day with the fifth and sixth place playoff, which Venezuela won 4-0, exactly the same result from the 2018 World Cup.
Here’s a look at the final day of play as we review the games, from the earlier ones to the ones that decided who advances… the following recap, tweets and photos are courtesy of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)…
5th / 6th PLACE GAME: Venezuela 4, New Zealand 0
Venezuela finished fifth in the Group C of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup after a 4-0 win over New Zealand.
The game remained scoreless until Olympian Yuruby Alicart hit a three-run homer in the top of 5th, while Cassidy Knudsen and Michelle Floyd combined for the shutout.
Alicart stepped in the box with runners on second and third, and no outs. And the experienced infielder sent a 1-2 pitch into the left field bleachers for a what would be the game-deciding homer.
🇻🇪 It's a Yuruby Alicart bomb 💣!!!!#SoftballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/w83rsFuF1S
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 26, 2023
In the same inning, Diana Arcay hit a triple down the right field line and scored on a sacrifice fly from Yusneiby Acacio.
Knudsen started for Venezuela and pitched two innings with three hits, one strikeout and one walk before being replaced by Floyd who tossed five frames of two-hit ball and earned the win. She struck out five.
Video Highlights:
Box Score & Play-By-Play
*****
3rd / 4th PLACE GAME: Italy 6, Phillipines 5
Italy defeated the Philippines, 6-5, in a tight and thrilling game played in Castions di Strada, Italy, for the playoffs of the Women’s Softball World Cup Group C.
Giulia Koutsoyanopulos homered in the second inning for Italy and commanded a 10-hit offensive effort.
Here’s a clip of her big three-run shot:
🇮🇹 Giulia Koutsoyanopulos with the three-run shot!!#SoftballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/1uthRY0KFq
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 26, 2023
Philippines jumped ahead in the score in the top of the first. Alaiza Talisik delivered a single to put her team in front.
One inning later, the three-run shot by Koutsoyanopulos put Italy in command of the game for the first time. The Italian outfielder extended on a low-and-away pitch and unleashed a towering home run over the center field, recording the first three Italian runs.
The Asian team tied the ballgame in the top of the third, on a clutch two-out, two-run single of the bat of Elsie De la Torre, but Italy answered with two runs on four hits in the bottom half of the inning, including RBI singles by Koutsoyanopulos and Giulia Longhi.
In the top of the fourth, after a two and a half hour rain delay, the resilient Philippines tied the game one more time with a line-drive double to center field by Francesa Altomonte, driving in Angelu Gabriel and Rayae Villamin.
However, Italy would take again the lead in the bottom half of the 4th inning.
🇮🇹 Italy take the lead again in the bottom of the third!!!#SoftballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/lIJklqotoe
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 26, 2023
Alessandra Rotondo hit a leadoff double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before McKenzie Barbara hit a fly in shallow right field that was caught but allowed Rotondo to score from third.
Alice Nicolini was the winning pitcher for Italy, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief, with three hits and two strikeouts.
With this result, Italy advanced to the Repechage Game, while Philippines finished their participation in 4th place in Group C.
Video Highlights:
Box Score & Play-By-Play
*****
FINAL: Japan 7, Canada 1
Team Japan continued to show why it’s one of the elite teams in international softball as the Japanese topped Canada 7-1 in the finale today, blowing the game up early with four runs in the 2nd inning, another in the 5th and then two more in the top of the 7th.
🇯🇵💪 Japan to the Finals!
👏 Congratulations @JSAteamJAPAN!#SoftballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/B2RjpZihP1
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 26, 2023
Canada scored its only run in the bottom of the 3rd inning, which is the closest the North American team would get as Japan’s offense had 13 hits to the five by Canada, which also had three errors in the field.
We will have more info on the finale game in a separate report to come!
Japan’s Ayane Nakagawa was chosen as the Group C Most Outstanding Player:
🇯🇵🏅 Congrats to Ayane Nakagawa the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Group C Most Outstanding Player!#SoftballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/CTXsnFpAqO
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 26, 2023
Here’s how Japan put its first run on the board:
🇯🇵 Japan with the lead!!!#SoftballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/WjS1m92O0I
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 26, 2023
Ayane Nakagawa put Japan up 2-0 with this RBI single through the right side of the infield in the 2nd inning.
🇯🇵 Ayane Nakagawa with the RBI single#SoftballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/gE7YpcfnIx
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 26, 2023
Canada got on the scoreboard with this crazy play that had seven infield throws and narrowed the lead to 4-1 in the 3rd inning:
🤔 Canada score one….#SoftballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/2CDsF7GPyt
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 26, 2023
Video Highlights
Box Score/Play by Play
*****
REPECHAGE* (Loser of Final vs. Winner of 3rd & 4th Finishes): Game Not Played**
* = ticket awarded to 2024 Word Cup Finals
** The repechage game between Canada and Italy was not played for health and safety reasons considering the bad weather in the area and the potential late start time of the game since the final finished at 22:50.
It did not affect final positions in the tournament as both teams had already booked spots in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2024.
That wraps up the action for Group C… congrats on those that will play in Italy next Summer and for those who didn’t, we hope the experiences over the last several weeks will inspire great play in the future!
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball