Japan advances to championship game with 5-4 win over Australia

[fastball]

Received: 7/16/06 1:04:14 AM 
From:  "Holly Krivokapich" <hollyk(at)softball.org> 


 
Subject:  Japan advances to championship game with 5-4 win over
Australia   



Japan advances to championship game with 5-4win over Australia

Oklahoma City, Okla.---It was scoreless through two as bothAustralia
and Japan struggled to muster any offense early in the nightcap
onday three of the II World Cup of Softballpresented by Kellogg’s
Frosted Flakes.

With two outs in the inning, Australiacame out swinging in the
top of the third scoring three runs off four hits.Sandra Allen
singled to center field and advanced to third off a single byStacey
Porter. Belinda Wright stepped up to the plate ripping a double
thatplated two runs, and then scored off a single by Natalie
Titcume. 

Japan answered with one run in the third andtied the game in
the fifth when Mikiko Tanaka blasted a two-run homerun to deepcenter
field.  Japanfinally took the lead in the bottom of the sixth
when Emi Inui led off theinning with a single to left field.
 Eri Yamada then came to the plate andslammed a home run over
the fence to five Japana 5-3 advantage.  

A pitching change in the top of the fourth for Japanproved to
be beneficial as Yokiko Ueno held the Australian offense to just
onerun on two hits to collect the win. Australiatried to fight
back but Ueno, who was throwing 74 mph consistently, closed thegame
by striking out four of the last five batters she faced. 

Japan faces USAtomorrow, July 16, at 12:00 p.m., in what could
be called a warm-up for thechampionship finals on Monday. With
identical 4-0 records, it will be a rematchof the 2005 World
Cup Finals that saw Japan upset the U.S.3-1 to take the inaugural
World Cup.  Australia faces Canadatomorrow at 2:00.  

 

 

 Als Fastball List
*Email: fastball(at)pmihrm.com
   fastball at pmihrm.com
NEWS-1: http://www.AlsFastball.com/
NEWS-2: http://fastpitchwest.com/alsfastball

2006 ISC World Tournament - Kitchener, Ontario
http://www.iscfastpitch.com/

VIA http://www.webbox.com