18 August 2023
- Little League - Team Australia
Australia and Curaçao battled in an entertaining contest at the Little League World Series, but the Carribean nation edged out the Sydney-side 2-1.
It certainly is a grand stage for this U13 event and a heck of an experience for Australia, represented by NSW charter Hills.
16 August 2023
- Little League - Team Australia
Puerto Rico defeated Australia 10-0 at the Junior League Series in Michigan on Tuesday, thanks in part to six runs in the fourth inning.
It’s the second loss of the tournament for Australia – represented by Wanneroo Giants – at the International Under 15 event meant to determine who the best club junior baseball team is.
Puerto Rico scored six runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth in what was the damaging frame. Dasel Melendez’s RBI double was the big knock.
Australia had early baserunners in the first and second inning, but savvy Puerto Rican pitching got them out of trouble.
Blake Sexton, Harry Wooden, Xavier De Haas and Dylan Bandy combined for Australia’s four hits.
Despite the loss, it was a solid effort in the field. Australia didn’t allow an error in the game.
Ortiz and Melendez had a pair of hits for Puerto Rico, who also scored one in the second inning and three in the third.
This ends Wanneroo’s run at the Junior League Series. They will remain in Michigan in the week, taking in the tournament, the experience around them and hopefully fitting in some more games. What an experience for this young group of players, who got to represent Australia at the Intermediate League World Series last year, too.
14 August 2023
Australia ended their Women’s World Cup campaign on a high note with a 9-2 win over Hong Kong on Monday morning.
The game was much closer than the scoreline suggests. The Emeralds trailed 2-0 in the fifth inning and were being no-hit.
Claire O’Sullivan (NSW) recorded two of her three runs batted in on the afternoon with a clutch two-out double in the fifth to put Australia up 3-2, helping to erase an early 2-0 deficit.
The Emeralds piled on the runs in the seventh, scoring six times to put the game beyond doubt.
O’Sullivan went 2-for-3 with 3RBI. Morgan Doty also pieced together a 2-for-3 afternoon with a pair of RBIs to her name.
Lili Cavanagh and Gen Beacom also each had two hits. In total, Australia had 10 base knocks.
The Emeralds got solid pitching throughout the game, limiting Hong Kong to just three hits.
Maddison Erwin (ACT) opened the game with 2.2 innings of work, allowing two unearned runs off two hits. Maddison Tabrett (NSW) pitched 3.1 innings of relief with one hit, no walks and no runs. Ash Patton (ACT) pitched a clean seventh inning to round things out.
Australia finishes Group A in fourth place with a 2-3 record. Unfortunately, the Emeralds fall just short of advancing to the Final Round in 2024. Australia either led or had the winning run in scoring position in all games played.
You can read about the tournament and view the game recaps at our international hub at www.baseball.com.au/internationalhub.
BOX SCORE – Australia def. Hong Kong
Maddie Erwin started well on the mound for the Aussies. She weaved a perfect first two innings to keep zeros on the board.
The Emeralds had their chances early. They loaded the bases in the second but starting pitcher Yin Sum Kwong struck out Kelsey Brennan to end the inning.
In total, Australia left six baserunners on through the first four innings but couldn’t convert.
Despite the six base runners, none of them were actually hits – they all came off walks and errors.
It didn’t help that Hong Kong made some highlight reel defensive plays to keep bats at bay.
WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup players 1️⃣
WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup wall 0️⃣#BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/nkvmndeRdm— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 13, 2023
Hong Kong plated a pair in the third inning. With two outs and nobody on, Hong Kong started a rally. A walk and hit put two runners on, and then Australia made two errors to account for the two runs.
Yin Sum Kwong put forward a heck-of-an-effort for Hong Kong. She held Australia hitless through the first 4.2 innings with five strike outs.
Finally, Emerald bats woke from their slumber with two outs and nobody on in the fifth.
Lili Cavanagh, Gen Beacom, Leah Cornish and Claire O’Sullivan strung together four consecutive hits to put Australia on the board.
Cornish had an RBI to make it 2-1 and chase Kwong from the game.
Claire O’Sullivan went bang on one of the first pitches she saw from new pitcher Yik Shan Hung. The veteran slugged a ball deep into the outfield to score Beacom and Cornish and give Australia the lead.
Claire O’Sullivan gives us the lead! #WorldCupBaseballW
📹: @wbsc pic.twitter.com/n8B7mcQOK8
— Team Australia (@TeamAusBaseball) August 13, 2023
Hong Kong, meanwhile, struggled to get anything going offensively after their two runs in the third.
Maddison Tabrett was excellent in relief of Erwin, throwing 3.1 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball.
Australia put up a lopsided number in the seventh inning to seal the deal. Five hits, a walk, a hit-by pitch and a sacrifice fly accounted for six runs in the damaging getaway inning.
O’Sullivan, Gen Beacom, Carly Moore, Morgan Doty and Lili Cavanagh had the hits in the seventh for Australia. Doty had a two-run RBI, O’Sullivan plated a run, while Jordan Richardson and Caitlin Eynon had sacrfice flies.
16-year-old Ash Patton finished the game off with a tidy 1-2-3 inning including two strikeouts.
14 August 2023
- Little League - Team Australia
Czechia scored their six winning runs in the top of the last inning to upend Australia in an 8-3 win during the first game of the Junior League World Series (U15).
The scoreline is deceptive. This was a closely contested game until Czechia exploded for six runs in the seventh inning.
The Wanneroo Giants, representing Australia at the major junior event in Michigan, gave the Czech-side from Brno a run for their money.
Quinn Fatai had a tremendous start for the Aussies. He tossed 6.0 innings of three hit baseball, allowing just two runs off three hits.
The Giants scattered ten hits throughout the afternoon and had some solid scoring opportunities. The scored two in the first inning and one in the last.
Chayse Benseman starred for Australia with the bat, going 2-for-3 with all three RBIs. Cooper Barber and Quinn Fatai also had two hits.
Quinn Fatai, Dylan Bandy Sebastian Beazley, Jaxon Elliot and Xavier De Haas rounded out the hitting for Australia.
Lukas Urbanek had three hits for the Czechs, and Lukas Kincl knocked in three runs to lead the charge from the opposition.
David Barton was the man to beat on the mound for the Czechs.
Czechia struck first in the first inning with a single run. Australia responded right away.
The Giants opened the game with three straight singles, including a two-RBI hit from Benseman. The Czechs tied it up right away.
From there, the game went into a pitcher’s dual. Both Barton and Fatai were tremendous. They bent but never really broke.
Each team had some nice defensive plays.
A 6-3-5 double play? You can Czech that one off the list😤 #LLWS pic.twitter.com/bQ2jPHmdCq
— Little League (@LittleLeague) August 13, 2023
Finally, the Czechs punched through in the seventh. The damage was done when nine straight players from Czechia reached the basepaths, and the team systematically ran up the score for six runs.
Australia actually ended the seventh on a nice double play.
Australia got a couple base runners in an attempted comeback in the bottom of the seventh. Benseman was able to drive in his third RBI of the game.
Wanneroo plays their next game on Tuesday 15 August at 11:00PM AWST (11:00AM local time, 1:00AM AEST) vs an opponent to be determined later. It’s a must win – a second loss would end the Giants’ run at the major US event.
The schedule can be found here.
13 August 2023
Australia lost a heartbreaker at the Women’s World Cup.
The Emeralds erased a 4-0 deficit to take a late three run lead, but Canada put up crooked numbers in the final two innings to race home to an 11-7 in Group A action from Thunder Bay.
This contest was wild. It had more up-and-downs than a Gold Coast roller coaster.
Canada took a 4-0 lead in the third-inning but the Emeralds showed great resolve.
A dramatic five run fifth inning – complete with a pair of clutch two-out, two-strike, two-RBI knocks from Caitlin Eynon and Abbey Kelley – helped the Emeralds storm to a 7-4 lead.
The advantage didn’t last long. Canada scored three in the sixth to tie it and added four more in the last to win it.
Australia drops to 1-3 in Group A of the Women’s World Cup. They needed a victory to keep hopes of advancing to the Final Round.
In all likelihood, the loss eliminates them from advancing to next year’s championship round. There is a slim mathematical possibility, but Australia will need to beat Hong Kong and hope results go a wild way in Group B action in Japan next month.
Allie Bebbere had a standout pitching performance for the Emeralds, going 2.1 shutout innings of relief, allowing no hits.
Caitlin Eynon had a critical go-ahead two-out RBI in a 2-for-4 performance.
16-year-old Leah Cornish had a pair of hits and two RBI in her first World Cup start. Abbey McLellan had two hits as well.
Canada’s Alexane Fournier had a standout performance for the Red & White. She had three hits and 5RBI.
Eight different Emeralds had hits in the loss.
Canada, Mexico and the USA are guaranteed spots in the Final Round in 2024.
Australia finishes Group A action at 5:30AM AEST vs Hong Kong on Monday morning.
BOX SCORE: Click here.
The game featured a highly anticipated pitching match-up between two of the best pitchers on the planet – Canada’s Allie Schroder and Australia’s Gen Beacom.
The Emeralds got off to a steady start. Gen Beacom held the Canadians hitless and struck out one to ease her side into the game.
Schroder responded with a hitless, scoreless inning of her own.
Canada pressured in the second. A hit and a walk had runners in scoring position, but Beacom struck out two batters to keep the game scoreless.
⚡🇦🇺 Great pitch by Gen Beacom to end the inning!#BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/ixKKrq2L9i
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 12, 2023
The Emeralds made a big decision to insert 16-year-old World Cup debutant Leah Cornish into the line-up. It paid off early, with the reigning Australian Women’s Championship Golden Bat knocking a single to the outfield on the firsts pitch see saw.
But Allie Schroder showed her might, inducing a 6-4-3 double play to help keep it scoreless through two.
Canada hit the scoreboard in the third with a big two out rally. Three critical walks loaded the bases. With two outs, Alexane Fournier had a two-out RBI single to put the home side up 2-0. A wild pitch later, and suddenly it was 3-0. A ground ball scored another insurance tally.
🇨🇦🔝 Canada take the lead! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/Ht2mN1BZhZ
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 13, 2023
In total, Canada scored four runs off one hit and four walks in the inning.
Australia pushed back with a mini-rally in the fourth. Hits to Carly Moore and Abbey McClellan and a walk to Abbey Kelly loaded the bases. Leah Cornish and Lili Cavanagh showed tremendous patience to earn a pair of walks and score the Emeralds first two runs of the game.
Maddi Tabbrett nearly tied it but a great diving catch from Ela Day-Bedard in left field denied some runs.
4-2 after three.
Allie Bebbere started her relief appearance well. She went the next 2.1 innings allowing just one walk, no hits and struck out three.
🇦🇺 Allison Steane with a ⚡ pitch to get the SO! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/898iP3V55X
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 13, 2023
Allie Schroeder, meanwhile, settled down after her third inning blip, retiring Australian bats in order in the fourth.
Schroeder was taken out in the fifth inning.
That’s when the Emeralds made a move. They remarkably scored five runs in the fifth to power ahead.
Ticara Geldenhuis started the party by reaching on an error, Morgan Doty walked, McClellan singled.
Bases loaded, nobody out.
Leah Cornish cashed in one run with a single to right field. 4-3.
Then, with two outs and the bases still juiced, Caitlin Eynon had a two-RBI single to put the Aussies in front.
The train kept rolling. Abbey Kelly had a two-out, two-strike, opposite field line drive to score another two innings. Just like that: 7-4 after five.
🇦🇺🔝 Australia take the lead! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/eSKrQHQJBL
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 13, 2023
Claire O’Sullivan took over on the mound in the sixth. Canada pegged one back on a sacrifice fly to cut the Aussie lead to two. She remained in the game for a couple outs, before being replaced by Leah Cornish with two outs and two runners on.
Canada tied it off an Alexane Fournier hard-hit ground ball to third which scored two runs. Knotted at seven.
It was Fournier’s fourth RBI of the game.
🇨🇦😲 It’s a new ballgame! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/cbbxCDwL3T
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 13, 2023
With the scores tied in the seventh and final inning, Australia sent closer Morgan Doty to the hill.
She did her job early in the inning by inducing consecutive ground balls, but Canada managed to reach on a few infield hits.
Canada loaded the bases.
Alizee Gelinas laced a ball to centre to score two. Fournier had her fifth RBI a couple batters later. 11-7.
Jordan Richardson got the final out for Australia in the seventh.
Australia pressured with a pair of baserunners in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t guide anyone home.
Canada, Mexico and USA all clinch spots in the 2024 Final Round.
EMERALDS GAMES
August 9 – USA 3 def Australia 2
August 10 – Mexico 16 def Australia 8 (extra innings)
August 11 – Australia 10 def Korea 3
August 13 – Canada 11 def Australia 7
August 14 – vs Hong Kong @ 5:30AM AEST
For full schedule and tournament information, visit www.wbsc.org.
12 August 2023
The Emeralds scheduled World Cup game vs Hong Kong has been postponed due to weather.
The heavens have opened up in Thunder Bay and tournament officials have told the team the Hong Kong vs Australia game, originally scheduled for 1:30AM AEST (11:30AM in Canada) will not be played today.
The Emeralds will keep their next scheduled game vs Canada at 9:30AM AEST on Sunday 13 August. The Hong Kong game will be rescheduled after that, likely for the following day (Sunday in Thunder Bay but some time on Monday 14 August with the time zone in Australia).
Stay tuned to Team Australia Baseball social media channels or www.wbsc.org for latest news.
11 August 2023
Fifty of the best junior baseball players from across the country will attend Australia’s Under 18 National Junior Camp on the Gold Coast this week with World Cup roster spots on the line.
At the end of the camp, the 50 players will be cut down to 20. Those players will represent Australia at the Under 18 World Cup from August 31 – September 10 in Taiwan
The camp is hosted at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club and will run from August 13 – 20.
Baseball Australia released the initial 28 players selected for the camp in February, but 22 more players have been added.
National Player Development Manager Andrew Riddell says coaches and scouts across Australia have been keeping a close eye on the best junior talent from across the country.
“After our national championships in January, 28 players received invites based off their performances while playing for their state,” he says. “Since then, we’ve kept track of players around Australia while they were training in their high-performance programs. The additional players were selected because of their hard work – and now they have the same opportunity to wear the Green & Gold.”
There is a spread of talent from across the country, including 15 from New South Wales, 11 from Victoria, 9 from Queensland, 8 from Western Australia, 5 from South Australia and 2 from Country New South Wales.
“We’re looking forward to getting to Surfers and letting the 50 players go at it to determine who represents Australia in Tawain,” says Riddell.
Players will partake in morning training sessions every day, with games played each afternoon.
If you’d like to arrange a story or media, please contact Eric Balnar at eric.balnar@baseball.com.au or at 0409 294 647.
This camp is proudly supported by the City of Gold Coast.
11 August 2023
Australia kept their hopes of advancing to the World Cup Finals alive with a dominant 10-3 win over South Korea on Friday morning.
Needing to win their last three games to have a shot of advancing from World Cup Group A, the Emeralds took care of business in emphatic fashion.
Ticara Geldenhuis (NSW) led the Aussie offensive onslaught. She went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs batted in, three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.
Pitcher Claire O’Sullivan (NSW) was sensational in her start. The savvy veteran arm went 5.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits, walking none and striking out six.
The Emeralds scattered nine hits and worked four walks across the team. Eight different Australians had base hits in a total team effort. Ten different players reached base.
This is Australia’s first win at this year’s World Cup. They are hoping to make a late surge by winning their final three games in hopes of advancing to the final round in 2024.
Their record is deceptive – Australia lost a nail-biting opener to powerhouse USA 3-2 and an extra innings heartbreaker to Mexico earlier this week. They had the winning run in scoring position during both these games.
Scroll down for the game recap with highlights.
BOX SCORE: Australia def South Korea.
The Emeralds likely need to finish in the Top 3 to secure one of six spots the World Cup Finals in 2024. The explanation on how the system works and Australia’s pathway is at the bottom of this article.
For media enquiries contact Eric Balnar at eric.balnar@baseball.com.au.
Australia got a jolt of energy from a nice defensive play in the top of the first inning. It set the tone for the afternoon.
After conceding a hit to the first batter of the game, starting pitcher Claire O’Sullivan struck out Minhee Choi and threw a runner out at second for a defacto double play.
The Emeralds aggressive intent continued during their first opportunity with the bat.
Lead-off hitter Ticara Geldenhuis swung at the first pitch and knocked a single to centre. She stole second. She stole third. She scored, thanks to a Morgan Doty sacrifice fly.
Australia brought eight batters to the plate in the first inning but only scored two runs. Catcher Maddi Heath had the other RBI on a hard-hit ground ball up the middle.
South Korea hit back in the second. Nuri Shin fabricated a run off a lead-off single, a stolen base, and hustle off a grounder to cut the lead in half. 2-1.
Australia responded a la Ticara Geldenhuis. The New South Wales native continued her impressive tournament with a huge two-run home run to increase the Emeralds lead. It improved her batting average to .500 and OPS to 1.511.
🇦🇺💥 Ticara Geldenhuis’ DINGER! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/5KYTneyPgP
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 10, 2023
Kelsey Brennan kept the aggressive mojo flowing.
She followed up the Ticara homer with a base-hit and a stolen base. She scored from second base on a ground ball and a tight, diving play at the plate.
5-1 Australia after two.
🇦🇺⚾ Australia score in a close call! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/4E06cb9jtA
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 10, 2023
The Emeralds padded their lead in the fourth. Morgan Doty’s two-bagger scored Ticara Geldenhuis for a third time of the day.
Meanwhile, Claire O’Sullivan kept doing her thing. The veteran arm from NSW was poised all afternoon, keeping South Korean bats off balance.
She had a 1-2-3 inning in the third and fourth frames and at one point sat down eight in a row.
When O’Sullivan did allow a baserunner, she immediately got help. After Korea reached on a single, catcher Maddi Heath threw her out while trying to steal second.
Maddi Heath! What a throw!
Video: @WBSC #WorldCupBaseballW pic.twitter.com/uFfU2H1gHc
— Team Australia (@TeamAusBaseball) August 10, 2023
O’Sullivan’s final stat line: 5.0 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 6 strikeouts.
16-year-old Western Australian Leah Cornish came in relief. She worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning thanks to a slick 5-4-3 double play.
The Emeralds ran away with the game in the fifth and sixth innings.
Abbey McLellan had a fifth inning RBI double and later scored off an error. Australia added two more runs off a couple Korean defensive miscues in the sixth.
16-year-old ACT pitcher Ash Patton closed the game out for the Emeralds, allowing two late Korean runs.
It was a total team effort for the Emeralds. Nine different players had hits and ten different players reached.
Remaining Emeralds Games:
August 12 – vs Hong Kong @ 1:30AM AEST
August 13 – vs Canada @ 9:30AM AEST
For full schedule and tournament information, visit www.wbsc.org.
The Women’s World Cup of Baseball currently has twelve teams remaining. Here’s what you need to know:
This means there are three ways for Australia to advance:
10 August 2023
all photos via WBSC
Mexico won a wild one. In extra innings, nonetheless.
The Mexicans scored their first ever Women’s Baseball World Cup victory defeating Australia 16-8 in bonus innings in Group A action.
The scoreline is deceptive. The game was decided in a tiebreaker, after all.
The Emeralds trailed 5-2 and 8-5 during the game. They erased both of those three-run deficits in a plucky comeback attempt. Mexico just could not be contained in extras.
There was a dramatic moment to get there. Ticara Geldenhuis (NSW) forced extra-innings by delivering a two-out, two-RBI base hit to lock the game at eight.
Down to our final out, Ticara Geldenhuis came up clutch to force extras.
Video: @wbsc #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/z1Fq854xAa
— Team Australia (@TeamAusBaseball) August 9, 2023
It wasn’t meant to be. Errors and walks cost Australia in the tie-break inning, with Mexico scoring eight-runs off just two hits, including a massive three run homerun.
In the game, only eight of Mexico’s runs were earned. Australia allowed eight unearned runs in the loss.
To be fair, Mexico seemed to deliver in the moments that mattered the most. A two-out, two-RBI double in third inning, and the same again in the fifth, scored four of Mexico’s runs in the win. The three-run homer in extras was also handy.
Australia didn’t help themselves. They made five costly errors during the game.
Mexico outhit Australia 9-7.
Morgan Doty and Kelsey Brennan each had two hits for the Emeralds. Gen Beacom had two RBIs.
Ticara Geldenhuis reached three times and had two RBI.
It’s now desperate times for the Emeralds. They need to finish in the Top 3 of their group to have a chance at advancing to the World Cup Finals Round in 2024.
Australia has three remaining games this week – vs Korea, Hong-Kong and Canada. They will need to win all of them – and get a little bit of help. It is still very possible.
The Emeralds have been in position to win each of their games.
Australia’s next game is tomorrow morning at 1:30AM AEST vs Korea. The loser is likely eliminated.
BOX SCORE: Click here.
Australia jumped Mexico early with two early runs off backs of an aggressive approach.
They scored their first run of the game off a perfectly executed double-steal. Morgan Doty applied the pressure at home and Ticara Geldenhuis snuck in at home. 1-0.
Gen Beacom swung early in a count and drove a ball to right to score Doty and record Australia’s second run of the inning.
🇦🇺 Delay steal and Australia get their first run of the game!#BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/9EVNAeQJp9
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 9, 2023
Defensive miscues got the better of Australia in the third inning. Australia made three errors and hit a batter in the inning, allowing Mexico to score five runs on just one hit.
That ‘one hit’, however, was damaging. Daniela Aguilar hammered a ball off the wall with two-outs and bases-loaded to put Mexico up 5-2
🇲🇽😤 Mexico attack! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/4BQUVHyy4o
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 9, 2023
Australia wasted no time issuing a response.
A Shae Lillywhite walk, and Morgan Doty single, put two runners on for Abbey McLellan. The Victorian slugger drilled a ball to left field to score one.
Gen Beacom followed with her second RBI of the game. 5-4. In her first World Cup game, Carly Moore leveled the scores at five during the next at-bat with a rocket off the bat, an RBI double to left.
Mexico regained the lead in the fourth on a fielder’s choice.
Mexico added another clutch punch in the fifth inning. Marcela Diaz delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to plate a pair of runs and increase the lead to 8-5.
🇲🇽 Great play to end the inning! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/T59mJDexE9
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 9, 2023
The Emeralds pressured in the sixth. With two-outs, Australia managed to squeeze a runner on first and third but couldn’t find a clutch hit.
Morgan Doty pitched a crucial 1-2-3 seventh, holding Mexico off the scoreboard.
It was important. Australia had a magnificent bottom of the last.
Early hits and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Another walk cashed in a run to cut the lead to 8-6.
Then, with two outs, enter Ticara Geldenhuis.
The New South Wales-native delivered a dramatic two RBI base hit to tie the game at eight and force extras.
Australia had a chance to win it the next at-bat, but the Mexican pitcher got Shae Lillywhite to strike out swinging.
Mexico seized back momentum in extra innings. With tie-breaker rules in effect (runners on first and second to start the inning), Mexico laid down a bunt. A throwing error by Doty cashed in two runs. And it piled on from there.
Trademarked by a three-run homer by Dianna Ibarra, Mexico made a statement.
Mexico scored eight runs off two hits in the eigth inning.
A heartbreaker for Australia, but there is still hope.
BOX SCORE: Click here.
09 August 2023
Australia pushed powerhouse baseball nation United States to their limit, but ultimately fell 3-2, in a high-drama opening game of the Women’s Baseball World Cup.
The USA tagged out the tying run in a dramatic play at the plate in the penultimate inning during a game that had a bit of everything – including a wild thunderstorm.
The Emeralds left it all out on the field. They clawed back from a 3-0 deficit to get within one run heading into the last inning. Australia even had two runners in scoring position – including a potential game winning run.
Australia out-hit and out-chanced the favoured Americans. Unfortunately, they couldn’t outscore them.
One of the big reasons why? A masterful pitching performance from American starter Elise Berger.
From the moment the umpire said “play ball”, her stuff was on.
Her breaking ball was dancing, her fastball filled up the zone, and she induced tons of soft contact to stymy the Emeralds’ bats. She even survived a one-hour rain delay after the first inning.
She left the game allowing just one run and two hits through 5.2 innings of work.
🇺🇸😎 Elise Berger is cruising!
5 IP
1 H
No runs pic.twitter.com/dqENe0cOoy— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 8, 2023
A five-walk third inning was Australia’s downfall. The blemish accounted for two of America’s three runs.
Let’s not mince words: the United States team is loaded. The squad features superstars of the game including men’s league professional player Kelsie Whitmore, the first woman to play NCAA Division I men’s baseball Olivia Pichardo, and 2015 Pan-Am Games gold medalist Anna Kimbrell.
The Emeralds got solid pitching from starter Genevieve Beacom and reliever Allie Bebbere.
Beacom (VIC) pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two runs off no hits and four walks. Bebbere (VIC) pitched the remaining 3.1 innings, conceding just one run and allowing two hits.
Ticara Geldenhuis (NSW), Morgan Doty (VIC/WA), Abbey McLellan (VIC), Claire O’Sullivan (NSW), Caitlin Eynon (WA) and Jordan Richardson (NSW) combined for Australia’s six hits.
Eynon and McLellan had the runs batted in for the Emeralds.
Catch up Emeralds’ news, stories and media from across the country at our International Hub.
Next up for Australia (0-1) is a date with Mexico (0-0). They play at 5:30AM AEST in a crucial Group A clash.
The Top 2 finishers in Group A and B advance to the Championship Round, held in Canada in 2024. Two wild card spots will also be awarded.
The Emeralds have run of games vs Mexico, Korea, Hong Kong and Canada over the next four days. They’ll likely need to win three of them to advance.
Above: Allie Bebbere in relief for Australia. Photo: Brendan Beacom.
When the first pitch of the game cruised over the plate you could tell it was going to be a day for the pitchers.
The weather was a factor, too. A local storm to Thunder Bay brought heavy gusts of wind – hitters would always have trouble driving the ball deep into the outfield.
Emeralds’ starter Gen Beacom and American starter Elise Berger went toe-to-toe in the first two innings. Neither pitcher allowed a hit.
A thunder, lightning & rainstorm swept across the diamond after the first inning, delaying the contest for an hour and knocking over the right field fence. When we returned, the pitchers picked up right where they left off.
Beacom sat down the first seven batters she faced, mixing in three strikeouts along the way – all of them looking.
⚡⚾ Genevieve Beacom’s stuff! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/yypAZqO9an
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 8, 2023
Her sizzling start came to a halt in the third. The United States worked four walks off Beacom in the third, including three-straight. The Americans scored a run off of a wild pitch to take the early lead.
The final line on Beacom: 2.2 innings, two earned runs with no hits and four walks.
Allie Bebbere entered the game in the bottom of the third inning with bases loaded and two outs. She walked in one run and got a shallow fly ball off the dangerous Olivia Pichardo to limit the damage.
2-0 USA after four.
Australia had a base-runner in three of the first four innings but struggled to find that one decisive blow.
The woman behind the Emeralds’ frustrations was starting pitcher Elise Berger. The right-hander’s breaking ball was on point, mixing it well with her fast ball. She induced a lot of soft-contact ground balls and allowed just one hit with no walks through her first five innings.
Berger’s final line: 5.2 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 1 strike out.
The USA’s defense was on song, too.
👏 Great play to end the inning! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/hR1O3JrJnh
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 8, 2023
USA added a crucial third run in the bottom of the fourth.
But Australia made a move in the fifth inning.
Ticara Geldenhuis had a lead-off walk. With two-outs, Abbey McClellan’s two-out infield RBI scored the Emeralds first run and chased Berger from the game.
The Emeralds promptly the bases after the pitching change. With two outs, Caitlin Eynon lined a ball to left field which scored one run, but the USA tagged the tying run out at the plate.
⚡💪 Great throw by Jillian Albayati to avoid the tying run! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/AyxKuaBz52
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 8, 2023
Bebbere continued her excellent form in the bottom of the sixth, tallying a crucial strikeout with an American insurance run standing in scoring position.
The final line on Bebbere: 3.1 innings with 3 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks and 2 strike outs.
It allowed Australia to pressure in the seventh and final inning. The Emeralds managed to bring two base runners to the basepaths with just one out.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t find the knock out blow.
👏🇺🇸 USA win a fantastic baseball game against Australia! #BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/Sfdwk50Yop
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 8, 2023
Australia will reset and play tomorrow vs Mexico in a game the Emeralds need to win.
BOX SCORE: Click here.
Photo: Brendan Beacom
09 August 2023
submitted by Robert Laidlaw
Mr. Baseball is a name earned by very few but one that suits Phil Alexander to a tee, which leaves big shoes to fill after his passing last week after 73 years on this earth, with 60 of those associated with the game he loved.
From a young boy playing the game through his heyday as a player, then coach, not to mention his long association with the media, Phil definitely is one name in South Australian baseball that is well known and well respected.
Although associated with Glenelg Baseball Club, Phil actually originally suited up with East Torrens in the winter league and Norwood Redsox in the Night Baseball League in the summer, from 1965 – when just a teenager.
He was soon enticed back to his hometown Tigers, with Glenelg for the 1966 winter and Sturt Tigers in the Night Baseball League – where he tied for the Shipway Medal as the competition’s best player.
On 1967 Phil was selected on South Australia’s team for the Claxton Shield and continued to be a top-level player at this level until 1983, creating the unique record of being the only player to field in every position on the diamond, including pitcher.
While the Claxton Shield returned to South Australia for the first time since 1980 earlier this year, Phil played in four winning Claxton Shield teams – 1967, 1970, 1071 and 1976.
In the early 1970s, Phil was a regular in the Australian team, gaining selection in 1970-72, including in the Aussies first Asian Series, held in Korea in 1971. He showed off his versatility, playing every position for the Green & Gold.
Before Phil started playing for Glenelg, the Tigers only won one A grade premiership (1962), but in his reign (400-plus games) they played off in nine grand finals from 1970-86, winning four flags – two as coach – which had a lot to do with his leadership capabilities.
Although a veteran of the game, in 1982 Phil Alexander won the Capps Medal, and proved to be the ‘King of the Catchers’, with equal runners-up Mal Loveday from Port Adelaide and West Torrens’ Phil Burgess also playing the backstop position.
In a strong year Phil proved he was, even for one shining season, the best catcher in the competition with 29 votes, seven ahead of Loveday and Burgess – although Glenelg went down 6-5 to the Magpies in one of the best premiership deciders seen at Norwood Oval.
It was obvious early in his formative years Alexander was going to be a star, winning the Pomeroy Cup as the most outstanding high school player in 1966 while at Brighton High.
At under 16 and under 18 level Phil made South Australian State teams, which was a precursor to his glittering representation career in the sport.
Phil was a real character on and off the diamond, which led to his being known in baseball circles as ‘Big Phil’, a name he carried with pride and used to promote the game in the media, through his column in the daily press and as a TV baseball commentator, or when reporting on the radio with ‘KG’ Cunningham.
When the original Australian Baseball League began in 1989, Alexander was appointed the inaugural coach, another major honour in an outstanding baseball career.
When the 75th South Australian Claxton Shield Diamond All-Star Team in 2009, Phil was selected as the utility. In 2014 he was selected in the Australian Baseball Hall of Fame, and last year was elected to the inaugural SA Baseball Hall of Fame.
Dearly loved partner of Trudy, adored father and father-in-law of Vanessa and Chris, Ben and Kate, Todd and Pip, and proud grandfather of Kyle, Finnley, Ollie, Ruby, Jack and Zara. Beloved son of Ray and Dulcie Alexander (both deceased), and brother of Gloria and Colin.
Phil Alexander’s funeral will be held in the Ian Mclachlan Room, Adelaide Oval, War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide, on Friday, August 11, 2023, from 10.30am.
VALE PHILLIP CEDRIC ALEXANDER, 1949-2023
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