Japan has stunned the USA in the Gold Medal Game of the 2012 ISF Women’s World Fastpitch Championship in Whitehorse, Canada. They prevailed 2-1 in ten innings on Sunday to capture the title. Yukiko Ueno went all ten innings in the decisive match, striking out eight. A sac bunt in the top of the tenth plated the winning run. It is just the second World Championship for Japan and the first loss for Team USA in a World Championship Final since 1982. Japan had reached the championship game by defeating Australia earlier on the day. The Aussies ended up with the bronze medal, their fourth in tournament history.
Europe was well represented at the Softball World Championship. The Netherlands finished group play with a 5-2 record in third place in Group A. The Czech team was 3-4 and in fifth in the same pool. In Group B Italy was placed fifth with a 3-4 record. Great Britain finished with a 2-5 record in seventh. The Dutch team advanced to the medal round, managed to beat Chinese Taipei 4-3, before ending the tournament with a 0-4 loss to Canada.