(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos courtesy of WBSC)
    Japanese baseball-women again capture World Championship-title
Nederlands
 GIJANG-GUN, BUSAN (South Korea) -
Japan shutout Canada 10-0 in a lopsided final on Sunday (September 11) to capture its fifth consecutive World Championship-title.
Earlier on the day, Venezuela scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 4-3 vs. Chinese Taipei and win the bronze medal of the World Championship Baseball Women in South Korea.
The Netherlands played its most successful World Championship ever.
After having won only one game during its previous three tournaments combined, the Orange squad this time recorded three victories and finished in ninth place.
After completion of the final, the success became even bigger, as for the first time ever, two Dutch players won an individual award!
Esther Maliepaard won the award for Most Stolen Bases.
In the tournament, she stole nine bases, including seven in the last game against Pakistan.
Famke Gildemacher won the award for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
In the bronze medal-game, Venezuela won a thriller against Chinese Taipei.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Venezuela trailed 3-0, with two outs, Venezuela trailed 3-2!
...World Champion Japan...
(© Photo courtesy of WBSC) |
Taiwanese starter Yu-Chen Hsu, who gave up only four hits in six innings, hit the lead-off hitter with a pitch, then walked the second.
With one out, Maigleth De Lourdes Torres Antiveros singled in a run, then the bases got loaded when Astrid Vayroneska Rodríguez James also was hit by a pitch.
Next batter Sor Malis Brito Carillo then grounded the ball back to pitcher Hsu, who made an error, resulting in another run.
A pitching change followed and Chiao-Yun Huang took over.
She began with a strikeout and with that, Venezuela trailed 3-2 with two outs and the bases still loaded!
Osmari Del Valle Garcia Zacarias then lined a 2-run single through the middle.
Taiwanese short stop Yu-Ying Hsieh dove and stopped the ball, tossing it to second baseman Yu-Hsuan Chen for the force out.
However, runner Brito reached second base just in time, while Rodríguez scored the tying run.
Torres, the runner from second base, also raced towards the plate and slid in just in time to beat the throw from second base to score the winning run!
With that, Venezuela realized its best result ever on a World Championship.
In the Final, Japan shutout Canada 10-0 on ten basehits, including three by Iori Miura, who also scored twice and batted in a run.
Winning pitcher Ayami Sato went the distance for Japan and gave up only two basehits to Canada.
Leading 1-0, Japan rallied for five runs in the third inning to take a commanding lead.
A 2-run double by Chihiro Funakoshi highlighted the rally.
In the Final, Dutchman Feiko Drost was one of the three Official Scorers.
He was joined by Jungsub Shin from South Korea and Jennie Moloney from Australia.
Final Standings:
1. Japan, 2. Canada, 3. Venezuela, 4. Chinese Taipei, 5. Australia, 6. South Korea, 7. USA, 8. Cuba, 9. Netherlands, 10. Hong Kong, 11. India, 12. Pakistan.
...The winners of the Individual Awards...
...Famke Gildemacher is at left; Esther Maliepaard is 3rd from left...
(© Photo courtesy of WBSC) |
Individual Awards
Best Hitter - Tamara Holmes (USA)
Best Pitcher (ERA) - Giddelys Josefina Cumana (Venezuela)
Best Pitcher (W-L) - Amanda Asay (Canada)
Most Runs Batted In - Tamara Holmes (USA)
Most Homeruns - Yurika Arisaka (Japan)
Most Stolen Bases - Esther Maliepaard (Netherlands)
Most Runs Scored - Brittanny Gomez (USA)
Most Outstanding Defensive Player - Famke Gildemacher (Netherlands)
Most Valuable Player - Ayami Sato (Japan)
All-World Team
Starting Pitcher - Ayami Sato (Japan)
Relief Pitcher - Chiao-Yun Huang (Chinese Taipei)
Catcher - Tahnee Lovering (Australia)
1st Base - Kate Psota (Canada)
2nd Base - Yuki Kawabata (Japan)
3rd Base - Geeta Bhuyan (Indian)
Short Stop - Veronika Boyd (Canada)
Outfield - Brittany Gomez (USA), Chia-When Shen (Chinese Taipei), Tammy McMillian (Australia)
Designated Hitter - Tamara Holmes (USA)
(September 11)
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