The preliminary round at the 4th KFC World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City ended on Sunday. The two European teams in the competition, the Netherlands and Italy, will play for fifth place today at 12.30pm CT. Team USA and Australia reached the finals (8pm). Canada and Japan square off for third place (3.30pm).
Italy played just one game on Saturday, losing to Canada 4-6 in the continuation of Thursday’s stopped match. The Canadians had answered the 3-0 lead after Kaytlin Gentile’s three-run homerun with two runs each in the second and third. Jennifer Yee homered. Jennifer Carrie struck out eight in six inning of relief to pick up the win. On Sunday Italy got shut out 0-8 by Australia. Justine Smethurst struck out eleven, while allowing just one hit and a walk in five innings. Kylie Cronk hit a solo homerun. Chelsea Forkin drove in three.
The Dutch team also lost the last two games of the first round to finish with a 1-4 record after having beaten Italy on Thursday. On Saturday Japan defeated the Netherlands 4-1. Areke Spel accounted for the lone run with a solo shot in the fourth. One day later Canada won 9-2 behind two RBI each by Erin Cumpstone and Caitlin Lever. The maple leafs had started the contest by scoring six runs in the opening frame. Jennifer Caira struck out seven in three innings for her third win in the tournament.
Results:
July 18:
Canada – Italy 6-4
USA – Canada 14-0 (4)
Japan – USA 1-6
Netherlands – Japan 1-4
July 19:
USA – Australia 8-0 (5)
Canada – Japan 4-5
Australia – Italy 8-0 (5)
Canada – Netherlands 9-2 (5)
Standings:
- USA 5-0
- Australia 4-1
- Canada 3-2
- Japan 3-2
- Netherlands 1-4
- Italy 0-5
Schedule:
July 20:
12.30pm Netherlands – Italy
3.30pm Canada – Japan
8pm USA – Australia (ESPN America, ‘As Live’, Tuesday, July 21, 18.30 CET)
