World Cup of Softball 2015 Results: Tuesday Scores, Highlights, Latest Standings
After a strong opening day for four teams at the 2015 World Cup of Softball, Tuesday featured another full slate of five games with the rest of the field getting in on the action.
Puerto Rico, Japan and the United States national team and junior women's national team all won Monday. Argentina and Venezuela each lost two games, and Mexico was shut out by the U.S. women.
All seven of those teams were in action again Tuesday, along with Canada making its debut in this year's tournament.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
This event has been dominated by the United States national team, which has won seven of the first nine World Cup of Softball tournaments. Japan is the only other country to be victorious, winning in 2005 and 2013, so the pressure is on the rest of the world to catch those two teams.
Tuesday Scores
| Canada vs. Japan | Japan def. Canada, 3-2 |
| Japan vs. Mexico | Japan def. Mexico, 10-3 |
| Venezuela vs. Argentina | Venezuela def. Argentina, 6-5 (8 Innings) |
| Canada vs. USA Junior Women | Canada def. USA Junior Women, 4-1 |
| Puerto Rico vs. USA | USA def. Puerto Rico, 14-1 |
Updated Standings
| 1 | Japan | 3-0 |
| 2 | USA | 2-0 |
| 3 | Puerto Rico | 2-1 |
| 4 | USA Junior | 1-1 |
| 5 | Canada | 1-1 |
| 6 | Venezuela | 1-2 |
| 7 | Mexico | 0-2 |
| 8 | Argentina | 0-3 |
Venezuela def. Argentina, 6-5 (Eight Innings)
In what has been the most thrilling game of the World Cup thus far, Venezuela pulled off a huge comeback to defeat Argentina 6-5 in extra innings.
Argentina was in control of this game for so long, taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning and increasing the margin to 5-0 in the top of the fourth inning. Natalia Jimenez hit a two-run homer in that opening frame.
Starter Lindsay Rich was cruising for Argentina, allowing two hits in the first four innings. She come undone in the bottom of the fifth, as Ana Coscorrosa capped a four-run frame with a two-run homer to put Venezuela down by one run.
The score would remain 5-4 until the bottom of the seventh inning when Venezuela was down to its final out. Denisse Fuenmayor took a bases-loaded walk to tie the score, though the whole thing was set up by an error Stefania Dalinger Iturbide on a hard grounder from Yuruby Alicart that should have been the second out.
Jineth Pimentel started the bottom of the eighth inning on second base before Venezuela loaded the bases. Jocelin Diaz delivered the walk-off winner with a single into right field.
The win gives Venezuela its first of the World Cup of Softball to this point, while Argentina moves to 0-3 with the United States waiting on Wednesday.
Japan def. Mexico, 10-3
After an tense earlier win over Canada, Japan coasted to an easy 10-3 victory against Mexico to keep its perfect record intact.
Things were interesting in this game early, as the starting pitchers put up zeroes in the first inning. Japan would then turn on the jets, lighting up Mexico starter Estela Pinon for four runs in the second, highlighted by a bases-loaded triple from Rika Marumoto.
Japan would score at least one run in each of the final five innings, banging out 11 hits along the way. Pinon didn't make it out of the fourth inning, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks.
Seven of Japan's nine starting lineup had at least one hit and six of them scored at least one run. Most of the damage was from the bottom portion of the order, with hitters five through nine going 7-for-14 with five RBI and eight runs scored.
With a 4-0 record after the first two days, Japan will get a day off on Wednesday to let the rest of the field sort itself out before coming back on July 2 for a marquee showdown with the United States.
Mexico has had a rough start to the World Cup of Softball, though scheduling didn't help. The Mexican team started off on Monday against the U.S., losing 4-0, and had to come back today against Japan.
Wednesday will provide a better opportunity for Mexico to get its first win, as it has a double-header against Canada and Venezuela.
Japan def. Canada, 3-2
Japan got a good fight from Canada but was able to hold on for a 3-2 victory in Tuesday's opening game. The Canadian team did more to help its opponents, committing two errors that led to two unearned runs.
Canadian second baseman Jennifer Yee allowed Japan to get on the board in the bottom of first inning with an error, but she would make up for it with an RBI single in the top of the third to tie the game at one.
The game would remain tied until Japan got help from Canada again in the bottom of the fourth, this time on an error by shortstop Jennifer Salling that allowed Saki Yamazaki to score.
Canada would tie the game once again in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Kaleigh Rafter. The two pitching staffs would exchange zeroes in the subsequent half innings before the bottom of the sixth.
Jocelyn Cater relieved Canada starter Jenna Caira in the fifth inning and pitched well, striking out five in two innings of work, but Yamato Fujita would hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the sixth inning for Japan.
Fujita also tossed a complete game for the Japanese squad, throwing 113 pitches and allowing six hits with four walks and three strikeouts. It's not a bad way to make your presence felt on a big stage.
The win also gives Japan a 2-0 record heading into its next game against Mexico, while Canada will look to get in the win column later on Tuesday against the United States junior team.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
