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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.

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.

Game Recap

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

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.

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.

Tournament Standings (as of conclusion of day)

1. United States of America – 2-0
2. Canada – 2-0
3. Hong Kong – 1-1
4. Mexico – 1-1
5. Australia – 0-2
6. Korea – 0-2

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.

Game Recap – As It Happened

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

The Emeralds have touched down in Canada and are ready for the Women’s World Cup of Baseball.

It’s a huge moment for these 20 players and the staff. They have five ‘Group A’ games of baseball to play vs fierce international opponents between August 9-13 in Thunder Bay, Canada.

If the Emeralds finish in the Top 2 in their group, they will advance to the 2024 Championship Round in Canada. If the Emeralds finish third, they are still in good position to gain a Wild Card entry to the 2024 round. Anything lower? Their campaign comes to an end.

You can learn about the team and each of the players + how the roster is constructed by clicking here.

The Australian media is starting to pick up on the Emeralds and their stories too.

We will be updating an ongoing list at our International Hub but have provided a list below.

Make sure you follow Team Australia Baseball for up-to-date stories, news and behind-the-scenes content.

Baseball.com.au

1. “Our Why” – Emeralds share their “why” as they prepare to take on the world
2. The Emeralds – Meet the Members of the Women’s World Cup Team
3. Roster Construction Strategy – Why Australia is focusing on versatility at the Women’s World Cup

Online / Print News

1. Herald Sun: Herald Sun – Meet the 20 Women representing Australia at the Women’s World Cup
2. National News: ABC News – Carly Moore is the first South Australian to make the Women’s World Cup
3. ACT in Canada:  Meet the two ACT players going to the World Cup
4. Magazine Story: CITYMAG – Profile on Emeralds’ catcher Carly Moore
5. Meet Gen Beacom: Hard throwing Australian making International News.

Radio / TV

• Young Guns (WIN Canberra): Erwin and Patton make Team Australia, ready for the World (WIN News)
• Radio Shae Lillywhite: RADIO – Shae Lillywhite on ABC Grandstand (Starts at 29:00)
• Podcast: Gen Beacom to appear on this week’s podcast of the Female Athlete Project (follow on Insta or wherever you get your podcasts)
• Podcast: Various Interviews on “Inside Pitch”

Australia came out on the wrong end of a closely fought battle with Czechia in their final game of the Under 12 World Cup.

Czech slugger Max Major had all four Czech runs-batted-in during the 4-0 victory.

Australia pressured throughout the game. They had the bases loaded in the sixth inning, and two runners on in the fourth and fifth. They just couldn’t land the decisive blow.

Oliver Allen gave Australia every opportunity to stay close in this game with a tremendous start on the mound. He went 3.0 innings, allowing just three hits, strikeout out four and conceding a pair of runs.

Zavier Leigh and Toby Kelman pitched well in relief.

Frantisek Fiser had his best game of the tournament for the Czechs on the mound. He kept Australia off-balance, allowing only four hits and no runs in 5.1 innings pitched.

Australia pressured on multiple occasions but were stonewalled by some staunch Czech defense.

The main culprit was slick second baseman Daniel Horak.

He was the centre of a tremendous double-play the Czechs turned to get out of the fourth inning. Australia had two runners on and just one out. That play surely saved at least a run.

🇨🇿 Czechia executed a brilliant 5-4-3 double play to end the 4th inning! – VII WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup#BaseballWorldCupU12 pic.twitter.com/jGkU8AXYKR

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 5, 2023

Then, in the fifth, Horak made a nice catch on a hard-hit ball to end the inning. Once again, Australia had two runners on.

That allowed the Czechs to score two getaway runs in the sixth inning.

This concludes the Under 12 World Cup for Australia. They finish 11th at the event.

BOX SCORE

report via WBSC

If Australia has it their way, they’ll be a nightmare to game plan against at the upcoming Women’s World Cup.

“Unpredictability is going to be a big edge we have over the other teams,” says Caitlin Eynon, who is both an infielder and pitcher for the Emeralds.”

“We have so many utility players, no team is going to be able to prepare for a certain pitcher for a certain amount of innings because there are so many possibilities and combinations within our squad,” she says. “Our flexibility and depth will be strong. We are well equipped to face any adversity.”

16 of Australia’s 20 players who leave Sunday morning to the Women’s World Cup in Canada next week play more than one position on the diamond.

Over the five-day Sydney training camp, the Emeralds drilled down on team fundamentals but one big word comes to the forefront – “versatility.”

That versatility is very much intentional, and the team is hoping it pays big dividends in Group A action that runs from August 9-13 in Thunder Bay.

Head coach Jason Pospishil says it’s all about playing to their team’s strengths.

“For us to be able to win we have to utilise our best players on both sides of the ball as much as we can,” he says. “That creates moving parts. We have to prepare for a lot of scenarios.”

Look at Abbey Kelly, for example. She is regarded as Australia’s best thirdbasewoman. She’s also a big-time World Cup pitcher who helped the Emeralds shutdown powerhouse USA at the 2016 World Cup.

“Abbey just may start at third and then be asked to come in and pitch two huge innings for us. So, we need someone that can come in and play third when she does,” says Pospishil. “Every single scenario we do that, we need to choose a team to adjust.”

MORE WOMEN’S STORIES:

• Emeralds share their “why” ahead of World Cup
• Meet the Emeralds – the 20-person roster for World Cup

Same goes for Morgan Doty. Not only is she one of the best centrefielders in the tournament, she’s also the Emerald’s closing pitcher.

Caitlin Eynon, fresh off leading Western Australia to a national title. will pitch and play shortstop. Players like Lili Cavanagh and Kelsey Brennan can play every position in the outfield, as well as pitch.

“It’s a team of utility. It’s a team in the truest sense. It’s next woman up,” says Pospishil.

Eynon will be in a similar position. She will have to move from her position at shortstop, to pitcher, or perhaps somewhere else in the diamond, on a moment’s notice.

She says mental preparation is key. It’s all about focus and adjusting your internal dialogue.

“When you switch from one position to another it’s like you’re wiping the slate clean and you have a second chance to make an impact on the result of the game. You have a new job,” she says. “Your internal dialogue adjusts to use different cue words. Maybe as an infielder you are saying ‘hit the ball to me.’ As a pitcher your routine goes to ‘stay low, righ, left, present glove, etc,’ As soon as I hit the rubber it switches.”

For players like Maddy Patrick, a “super utility” who can play almost every position on the diamond, it means she has to prepare for almost everything.

It keeps her on her toes. She says it makes her learn a lot more about the game as a whole.

“The coaching staff has done a great job over the last eleven weeks making sure I get reps across the whole field. It’s really hard work, but incredibly rewarding. It’s something I have been working on for the past few years now knowing [this will come],” she says.

Perhaps the versatility is just the nature of women’s baseball – a growing sport in Australia.

Doty says it’s reflected back at the home clubs, where players are asked to play so many roles. It makes it hard to specialise.

But Doty says it has allowed Australia to turn this into a strength, especially when it comes to pitching.

“The fact we have so many possible combinations really frees up the pitching options,” she says. “In the past, potentially some quality pitchers may not have been able to be utilised because they are needed elsewhere in the field. Our arms and legs will stay fresh and if the opportunity arises we can rest a player – this will benefit us at the end of the tournament.”

Australia is also in a transitional phase in their program. For years the Emeralds had jobs held down by players in specialist positions. Tahnee Lovering at catcher. Amy McCann at centre. Shae Lilywhite at second. The list goes on.

And the results were there, to be fair. Australia finished in the Top 4 (with a silver medal in 2010) in the first six editions of the tournament. They haven’t been in that position since 2014, however.

This version of the Emeralds has 14 new players – each still developing and trying to find their footing at the international level. They can all play multiple positions.

Australia needs to build around that.

Shae Lillywhite is entering her ninth World Cup – the only woman in the country to do so. She says Australia is still improving their depth in the high performance of the sport.

“I’m sure these young players will all be comfortable doing what is asked of them and slipping into multiple roles,” she says. “Pops loves the athleticism of this talented young group and all their tools. It will be a huge learning experience for so many of them to compete against the world and grow their baseball minds…as well as show off their tools.”

Australia’s first game is vs the USA on Wednesday. Fans can watch via the WBSC’s streaming service called “GameTime.”