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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen & Marco Stoovelaar)
  Day 2 Down Under Series bothered by rain
Nederlands
 BLACKTOWN, Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales (Australia) -
The Australian Open Women's Squad and Toyota Red Terriers from Japan continued their Invitational Down Under Series on Saturday (February 20), but were bothered by rain.
The two teams were scheduled to play three games against each other.
In the first match-up today, the Japanese squad nipped the Australian team 2-1.
The second game was halted by heavy rain with an 1-1 score in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The rain then resulted in the third game being cancelled.
On Friday, the two teams split their first double-header.
The Japanse squad, which is widely considered to be one of the best professional women's softball teams in the world, won the opener with a 9-8 score.
Hereafter, Australia won the next match-up 5-1 in eight innings on a pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam homerun by Erin Thras.
The two teams will play two more games on Sunday.
All games are being played at Blacktown International Sportspark in Blacktown, near Sydney.
This Sportspark also was the site of this year Australian Softball Championship-tournament in January and the World Baseball Classic Qualifier earlier this month.
Back in January, the Softbal Championship also was bothered by heavy rain, resulting in many cancellations and several days without a possibility to play due to the conditions of the fields.
(February 20)
Related Articles:
 Australia splits with Japanese Team on Day 1 Down Under Series. (February 19, 2016)
Australia wins first World Baseball Classic Qualifier. (February 14, 2016)
Queensland Heat wins Australian Softball Title. (January 9, 2016)
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Game Three
Australia was held scoreless in the first four innings by starting pitcher Sayuri Yamani, who gave up only two basehits in this span.
She retired the side in the first, then gave up a lead-off double to Brenda De Blaes in the second at bat.
The former Belgian advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Erin Thras, but then was left behind.
In the top of the third inning, Australia got the bases loaded, but was unable to open the score.
With one out, Yamani hit Carmelle Sorensen with a pitch, then gave up a single to Stacey McManus.
The first was then forced out on a grounder by Janice Blackman, but the bases were loaded when Chelsea Forkin reached on an error.
However, a flyout ended the inning.
...Haruna Sakamoto scored the winning run...
...Here, she plays during the 2014...
...World Championship in Haarlem (Neth.)...
...where she won the title with Japan...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Vanessa Stokes started for Australia and she retired the side in the first and second inning.
After Australia had left three runners behind in the top of the third inning, the Red Terriers opened the score in their half of the third at bat.
With one out, Mami Tanaka tripled and scored the first run on a 2-out single by Ayumi Suzuki.
In the fourth, the Japanese squad got close to its next run.
Erina Yamamoto led off with a double and moved on a sacrifice bunt by Haruna Sakamoto, but then was left behind.
In the top of the fifth, it was Australia that left another runner on third base off of new pitcher Kasumi Hirahara.
With one out, Carmelle Sorensen singled and advanced on a wild pitch and a grounder, but then, she stranded.
In the sixth, Australia was able to score, as Chelsea Forkin led off with a homerun, that tied the score at 1-1.
Brenda De Blaes followed with a single, but would strand on second base.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Red Terriers came back immediately and re-took the lead off of Amelia Cudicio, who had taken over the Australian pitching in the previous inning.
With one out, Erina Yamamoto walked and Haruna Sakamoto doubled.
With runners on second and third base, a throw to second base ended up in centerfield.
Yamamoto tried to score, but was thrown out at the plate on a nice throw by centerfielder Erin Thras.
On the play, Sakamoto moved to third base, then scored moments later on a double by Yukiyo Mine to make it 2-1 in favor of the Japanese squad.
In the top of the seventh, Kasumi Hirahara retired the side to seal the victory.
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Game Four
In this game, Monica Abbott started for the Toyota Red Terriers.
The American lefthander, who plays for the Japanese squad since 2009, struckout six batters and gave up only two hits in the four innings she pitched.
She left with her team leading 1-0, but then Australia came alongside in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Shortly thereafter, the game was halted due to heavy rain.
In the top of the first inning, the Japanese team came into scoring position quickly off of starter Kaia Parnaby.
Natasha Watley led off with a single and the American short stop moved on a wild pitch and reached third base on a grounder.
But she stranded, as a strikeout and flyout followed.
In the first Australian at bat, Clare Warwick led off with a walk, but was forced out on a grounder by Leigh Godfrey.
Hereafter, the next batter was veteran Stacey Porter, who had faced Abbott many times in international play.
The confrontation ended in favor of Abbott, who struckout Porter.
A grounder ended the at bat.
In the second inning, Haruna Furusawa led off for the Red Terriers with a double, moved on a sacrifice bunt, but was left behind, as Parnaby closed with two strikeouts.
...Monica Abbott started for Red Terriers...
...Here, she pitches for Team USA in the...
...Semi-Final vs. Japan in the 2008...
..Olympic Games in Beijing (China)...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
But in the top of the third, Japan did open the score.
With one out, Natasha Watley was hit by a pitch, then scored when Midori Kamiyama followed with a double.
In the bottom of the fourth, Australia got the bases loaded.
This time, Stacey Porter won the confrontation vs. Monica Abbott, as she led off with a walk.
Next, Brenda De Blaes singled.
Abbott then struckout Taylah Tsitsikronis, with the third strike ending in a wild pitch that enabled the two runners to move a base.
A grounder then accounted for the second out, but the bases got loaded when Jade Wall walked.
However, the three runners were left behind when Abbott closed by striking out Belinda White, who this year will play in the Dutch big league for Haarlem-based DSS.
In the top of the fifth, Australia turned a double play and Natasha Watley stranded on first base.
Moments later, Australia came alongside and in the meantime, it had started to rain.
Kasumi Hirahara took over the pitching from Abbott and she saw lead-off hitter Stacey McManus reach on an error.
McManus moved on a sacrifice bunt by Clare Warwick, but was unable to advance on a single by Leigh Godfrey.
The two runners moved on a wild pitch, then Hirahara struckout Stacey Porter.
Shortly thereafter, McManus scored the tying run when Brenda De Blaes reached on an error, which might be caused but the weather conditions.
With the score at 1-1, the game was halted due to heavy rain.
Because of the rain, the third scheduled game, which was to be played in the evening, was canceled.
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