China and Puerto Rico start the Placement Round with extra-inning wins
World No. 2 Puerto Rico defeated No. 6 Italy after nine dramatic innings, 8-6. Puerto Rico broke the score open in the top of the ninth on a two-run homer by pinch hitter Camille Ortiz Martinez. Italy put the potential winning run at the plate in the bottom half of the frame
Italian starter Christina Toniolo left with a 4-2 lead, but Puerto Rico tied the game on reliever Laura Bigatton, making the most of a pair of defensive errors.
Italy had a huge scoring chance in the bottom of the seventh. Erika Piancastelli got to reliever Alexia Ocasio with a one-out double to the gap in left-centre. Puerto Rico intentionally walked McKenzie Barbara, who left for pinch-runner Alexia Lacatena. Andrea Filler walked to load the bases. Ocasio got out of the jam, striking out Elisa Checchetti and Laura Vigna.
The regular seven innings ended in a 4-4 tie. The eighth updated the score to 5-5, and Puerto Rico won the game in the ninth.
Jena Pratte led off the top of the ninth with a base hit to left field, bringing the tie-break runner Alanah Rivera to third.
Karla Claudio singled to left field on a 2-2 count. The on-field review caught Pratte leaving the first base bag early and called her out. Claudio stepped back to the plate and popped to left field. Alanah Rivera scored the go-ahead run.
Puerto Rico extended the lead to 8-5, getting to Ilaria Cacciamani with a two-run homer to centre by pinch-hitter Camille Ortiz Martinez.
In the bottom of the ninth, Erika Piancastelli needed just one swing of the bat to single in the tie-break runner Isabella Dayton and cut the gap to 8-6. Ocasio hit McKenzie Barbara, making her the potential tying run. Andrea Filler moved the runners to third and second with a bunt, but on Elisa Cecchetti's comebacker, Ocasio got Piancastelli between third and home, and Puerto Rico got the second out. Ocasio ended the game, striking out Vigna.
World No. 17 China defeated No. 10 Australia in 10 innings 5-2, collecting their first win in the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024 Super Round in Castions di Strada on Thursday.
China clinched the win in the top of the tenth with back-to-back triples. They bunted the tie-break runner Zixuan Dong to third, followed by Siyu Yan's swinging bunt that turned into an infield single. Both runners scored when Yue Xie drove Kaia Parnaby's first pitch to the gap in left-centre for a triple. Min Ren extended the lead to 5-2 with a stand-up triple to left field. Parnaby exited the game after 9.1 innings, replaced by Kandra Lamb.
The seven innings in regulation featured an old-fashioned pitching duel between China's Yinan Chai and Australia's Kaia Parnaby.
China scored first, thriving on two defensive errors in the bottom of the first. Australia tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Michelle Cox.
Both teams went scoreless in the eighth and scored a run each in the ninth.
Chai earned the win, limiting Australia to four hits and allowing three walks while striking out nine.
