18 April 2025
RECAPS: Women's Championships April | Gold Medal Spots Decided on Good Friday
Today we figured out our two Gold Medal Game match ups.
As it turns out, four different states will battle for gold.
Read about the incredible day below as it unfolded, with recaps, notes, quotes, highlights and scenarios.
It is a day we’ll talk about for a long time. Highlights include:
– Two different players hit a massive homer;
– A huge Victoria come-back;
– What shall be called ‘the Chloe Atkinson game’
– An inside the park grand slam;
– An elite diving catch;
– A no-hitter;
– Shutout pitching performances.
What a day for women’s baseball! You’ll have to read on…(yeah, it’s a lot but hey it’s a big day!)
Looking for something? Keep on scrolling! It’s probably there (including notes on finals and tiebreaks in each section). Or, visit our tournament hub: www.baseball.com.au/women for links.
For live scoring, download the GameChanger app. You can search ‘Australian Women’s Championships’ or click this link.
Follow @baseball.com.au for social media updates and highlights.
FEATURE STORY: A Call to Change The Game – Australia’s all-female tournament umpire crew
GOOD FRIDAY RESULTS
Women’s Finals
Qualification Final: Victoria 10 def NSW 8
Elimination Final: Western Australia 12 def Queensland 4
Preliminary Final: New South Wales 9 def Queensland 0
Consolation Game: South Australia 21 def Queensland 3
New South Wales and Victoria will meet in the Gold Medal Game at 2:30PM on Saturday. Watch on Baseball+ (plus.baseball.com.au). All times AEST
Western Australia win bronze. Queensland Maroon finish fourth. South Australia finish fifth. Queensland White sixth.
Youth U16 Finals
Consolation: New South Wales 7 def Victoria 2
Finals Game 1: Western Australia 10 def Queensland 6
Finals Game 2: South Australia 11 def Western Australia 0
Finals Game 3: South Australia 7 def Queensland 2
Watch on GameChanger
Note: The top two teams of the Finals Round of the U16 Division advance to Saturday’s Gold.
Youth Finals Standings
South Australia 2-0 (2 RA)
Western Australia 1-1 (17 RA)
Queensland 0-2 (17 RA)
South Australia and Western Australia will play for Gold at 9:00AM on Saturday on Baseball+.
Queensland win bronze.
SATURDAY 19 APRIL SCHEDULE – GOLD MEDAL DAY
Women’s
9:00AM (Consolation) – Queensland Maroon vs Queensland White, GameChanger
11:45 AM (Consolation) – Western Australia vs South Australia, GameChanger
2:30PM – GOLD MEDAL GAME – Victoria vs New South Wales, watch on Baseball+
Youth Women’s
9:00AM – GOLD MEDAL: South Australia vs Western Australia, watch on Baseball+
11:15AM – Consolation: Queensland vs New South Wales, GameChanger
1:30PM – Consolation: New South Wales vs Victoria, GameChanger
RECAPS
QUALIFICATION FINAL: BALLPARK PANDEMONIUM – KAMETANI, DALE LEAD “BIG V” TO THE BIG DANCE
by Landon Blackhall
Victoria 10 def New South Wales 8
Victoria are now on the verge of going back-to-back in the Australian Women’s Championship after an absolute thriller at Melbourne Ballpark against New South Wales.
The Vics picked up a 10-8 win in the Qualification Final to advance to the Gold Medal Game, but the score line did not do these teams justice.
Both sides rode out an action-packed emotional rollercoaster from the first pitch to the final out.
Victoria spoiled an out-of-this world effort from Claire O’Sullivan went 4-for-4 with the bat, notching two singles, a double and a triple. She also started on the mound, throwing 5.0 innings for New South Wales.
Paula Doherty was great for Victoria on the mound too, tossing five innings allowing four earned runs and settling after an early three runs.
Here’s how it unfolded:
Victoria’s Kametani got things going in the first inning with a single, but after Kelly flied out to left field, Kametani took advantage of an overthrow to move into scoring position before Kira Kuwamoto drove her in with an RBI triple to make it 1-0.
NSW’s Geldenhuis then cranked a huge hit over centre field for a stand-up triple; Nakashio brought her in with a sac-fly to tie it up before they worked around the lead through consecutive singles from O’Sullivan, McGuire and Lambert.
Heath then grounded out to move the runners to the corners, but after Johnston was walked to load up the bases, Mori worked another walk to extend the margin to two.
Fast forward to the third inning: Victoria managed to even the odds with Kira Jansen and Cannington picking up singles before Dale then stepped up to the plate and delivered with a 2-RBI double to bring back to three apiece.
Not to be outdone, however, O’Sullivan stepped up to the plate in the fourth and smashed a solo shot over the left field fence – the first home run out of the park for the tournament – sending the NSW dugout into a frenzy and to return the lead to NSW, which they held through the fifth before things really took a turn.
The Victorian bats broke the game wide open in the sixth inning: Dale popped out a single to centre field and combined with Simpson to get runners on the corners after sac-bunt from Eden.
Bentley then drove in an RBI after a dropped catch to tie it up again, but Kametani’s cracker down the right field line, coupled with chaos and confusion of a missed rundown opportunity from the NSW infield, saw the Vics extend their lead by two before a sac-fly from Kelly came out with a sac-fly to make it 7-4, which saw O’Sullivan’s day on the mound come to an end and was replaced by McGuire.
Kiramoto worked a walk and then stole second before Cannington cannoned a liner down right for a 2 RBI double. Dale stepped up again and brought Cannington around for a “ribby-double” of her own to max out the inning with seven runs for a 10-4 lead.
NSW managed to claw back a few courtesy of Geldenhuis, who delivered a 2 RBI double before McGuire tacked on another run with a sac-fly.
Heath was then on the right end of a dropped catch for another RBI single to reduce Victoria’s lead to two.
But despite McGuire going three up, three down in the top of the seventh, Kametani worked three flyouts to close proceedings.
Speaking with Baseball.com.au after the game, Dale was quick to downplay her contribution and affirmed the collective efforts of her teammates.
“It wasn’t just me, it was all 16 players out there,” said Dale in her post-match interview with Baseball.com.au. “We just tried to do the same thing we’ve been doing all week, prepare well and stay focused.”
“[Our team] have been working so hard over the last three or four months, and today was such a grind, but it’s so rewarding for everyone.”
Hits: O’Sullivan (4), Geldenhuis (2), Nakashio, Lambert, Heath
RBI: Nakashio (3), O’Sullivan, McGuire, Lambert, Heath, Mori
Hits: Kuwamoto (3), Dale (3), Kametani (2), Cannington (2), Simpson (2)
RBI: Kametani (2), Kelly, Kuwamoto, Dale, Bentley
ELIMINATION FINAL: CRACKER FROM ATKINSON PUTS THE DUB IN W.A.
Western Australia 12 def Queensland 4
by Landon Blackhall
A phenomenal display at the dish from Chloe Atkinson was the cornerstone of Western Australia’s dominance over Queensland Maroon, with the Sandgropers now set to meet NSW in this afternoon’s preliminary against NSW.
Atkinson racked up batting stats akin to numbers seen in video games, going 4-for-5 with five RBIs, including a moonshot out to left field to follow on from Claire O’Sullivan homer earlier in the day.
Paired with Caitlin Eynon’s efforts on the mound, which was highlighted by seven strikeouts and only one walk over three innings pitched, the Sandgropers looked at ease against the Maroons, taking it out 12-4.

Atkinson was admittedly pinching herself after the game, telling Baseball.com.au that she was simply trying to provide for her team and do what she could to get them to the Big Dance.
“I actually didn’t see [the home run] … I had to ask the second-base umpire if it went over!” she exclaimed. “But yeah, I’m really ecstatic, really stoked about that.”
Atkinson was also grateful for her team, who have kept each other to task in creating a positive clubhouse vibe and helping her with her mental game.
“Yeah, the teamwork … just surrounding ourselves and getting around each other, having a party in the dugout … definitely a good team!”
Atkinson’s two-out homer at the top of the first opened the scoring for WA, but although Queensland’s Holly Moellers singled on a fly ball out to centre field to bring in C. Stokes in the bottom of the second, Yates and Eynon each grounded in singles before Atkinson brought them around with a one-out 2-RBI double.
Haggart then helped Atkinson back home with a triple before Briah Burke punched in a two-out double of her own to make it 5-1 in favour of WA.
Play then went scoreless through to the bottom of the fifth, where Queensland managed to bring the lead back to two after a Moellers found another double-ribby down the left field line, but WA went to town in the top of the sixth, with Atkinson responding with a double to bring in Yates before the second half of the order came together to pile on another six runs and end the half-inning by tournament rules.
Molly Paddison scoring on a wild pitch was of little consolation in the bottom of the sixth, as Kya Foxwell flied out to Jessica Knight for the final out of the game and thus end Queensland’s run in the 2025 AWC.
Not lost in all of this is the incredible team performance from Western Australia. All nine players had a hit and eight RBI.
Western Australia
Hits: Atkinson (4), Burke (3), Eynon (2), Yates (2), Newman (2), Lines, Knight, Clarke
RBI: Atkinson (5), Yates, Eynon, Haggart, Lines, Burke, Jess Knight, Newman
Queensland
Hits: Moellers (2), Zamora
RBI: Moellers (2)
PRELIMINARY FINAL: Magic from MacKenzie Jackson helps New South Wales book ticket to Gold Medal game
by Landon Blackhall
New South Wales 9 def Western Australia 0

Mollie Jackson was the star of the show in the AWC Preliminary, standing tall on the hill through six innings to lead the Blues to a thumping victory against a valiant WA side.
The NSW hurler punched in seven strikeouts and allowed just one walk and four hits through the entire game to seal the deal for NSW, 9-0.
Claire O’Sullivan also picked up where she left off with the stick in this morning’s game against Victoria, cracking in 2-for-3, two RBIs and a run en route to victory — one of eight different NSW players to work in at least one run.
NSW’s offensive efforts certainly made life easier for Jackson, but the gravity of the situation certainly wasn’t lost on Jackson, who spoke with Baseball.com.au after the match..
“From the start, I knew that I had to do my job … I had to stay up there, throw strikes and stay relaxed the entire time,” Jackson said.
“I was lucky enough to have the girls behind me with the bats, and it was good to see the smiles on their faces, which picks me up as well.”
Play was scoreless through to the second out in the bottom of the third before O’Sullivan broke the deadlock, clobbering a 2-RBI double to bring in Ticara Geldenhuis and Lisa Nakashio.
Sayaka Mori then brought in the third run of the game in the fourth after she effectively tripled on a flyball out to left; successive RBI dubs for Elise Grenfell, Cayla Johnston and O’Sullivan saw the Blues increase their lead to six, and then after Nakashio scored on a wild pitch, O’Sullivan and McGuire were both walked in, ending the inning by rule with nine.
Even with the cool change coming in, WA were unable to catch the red-hot Blues and the game was shut out after the top of the sixth, but the team was given a rousing ovation from their fellow Westerners having ended their tournament run as bronze medallists.
New South Wales will play for Gold on Saturday at 2:30PM on Baseball+
New South Wales
Hits: O’Sullivan (2), McGuire, Mori, Grenfell, Johnston
Western Australia
Hits: Eynon (2), Haggart, Yates
YOUTH WOMEN
FINALS 1: GOLDING INSIDE-THE-PARK-SLAM HELPS WA WIN FIRST GAME
by Eric Balnar
It’s Jemma Golding’s world, we’re just living it in.
Golding’s inside-the-park grand slam homer helped break a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning to help Western Australia get past Queensland 10-6.

It’s the first of three round-robin medal round games in the Youth Women’s Division. The top two advance to the Gold Medal Game on Saturday morning.
Seven different Western Australians had at least one hit, led by Maddie White and Mylie Watt who had two.
Watt pitched all six innings for Western Australia.
Natalie Murphy, Hannah Elliot and Sienna Fens had two hits each for a Queensland team who had nine different players record base knocks.
Western Australia took an initial 3-0 lead but that was erased in the third when Fens had an RBI double to put Queensland up 4-3.
But Western Australia battled back.
It’s a quick turnaround for Western Australia, who play South Australia in the second game of the round robin.
Western Australia
Hits (9): White (2), Watt (2), Auld, Duckworth, Vlasic, Stuart, Golding
RBI: Golding (4), Auld, Duckworth, Stewart
Queensland
Hits (11): Murphy (2), Elliot (2), Fens (2), Sparks, Knechtli, Newbury, Hancock, Stephens
RBI: Elliot (2), Fens (2), Newbury
FINALS 2: COMBINED SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ONE HITTER PUTS WIN ON THE BOARD

South Australia have a foot in the Gold Medal Game after a tremendous pitching performance from Lillian Sterry, Alice Brown and Indie O’Hazy Tschorn.
Sterry tossed 2.0 innings with four strikeouts, allowing no hits and no walks.
Brown threw 1.2 innings with just one hit, one walk and four strikeouts.
Indie finished with 1.1 innings, allowing no hits and clocking three strikeouts.
South Australia scored three in the first, five in the third and three in the fourth in the win.
Reagan O’Rielly, Brown and Sterry each had two hits in the win.
Dakota Ding racked up three RBI in the win.
CURRENT FINALS ROUND STANDINGS
South Australia 1-0 (0 RA)
Western Australia 1-1 (17 RA)
Queensland 0-1 (10 RA)
One game to go: South Australia vs Queensland. The top two teams advance to tomorrow’s gold.
South Australia
Hits (9): O’Rielly (2), Brown (2), Sterry (2) Goldspink, Pfitzner, Ding
RBI: Ding (3), Brown (2), George, Jennings, Pfitzner, Sterry
Western Australia
Hits (1): Lett
FINALS 3: SOUTH AUSTRALIA ADVANCE TO GOLD MEDAL GAME UNDEFEATED
South Australia 7 def Queensland 2
South Australia will have a chance to defend their gold after winning their second finals round game.
They advance to the Gold Medal Game to play Western Australia at 9:00AM on Saturday morning. Queensland finish the group portion 0-2 and will win bronze.

Hannah Nuske was at the centre of it all for South Australia. She tossed 3.0 innings with no runs, seven strikeouts and just two hits. She allowed one unearned run.
She also went 2-for-2 with three RBI.
Queensland scored an early run in the first but South Australia responded with a six spot, with RBI singles from Nuske and Dakota Ding highlighting the big inning.
South Australia
Hits (4): Nuske (2), Dal-Carrabo, Ding
RBI: Nuske (3), Ding
Western Australia
Hits: Amelia Stephens, Anouk Newbury, Baylee Wheeler
Consolation Game: New South Wales 7 def Victoria 2
Tamyrn Love had ten strikeouts in five innings of no hit work with ten strikeouts in New South Wales third win of the tournament.
Love also had an early RBI to put New South Wales up 4-0 by the end of the third inning.
Victoria scored two unearned runs in the fifth to cut the score to 4-2, but New South Wales responded with three runs of their own.
Tallara Joseph-Riogi had two hits. Mariam Arafaki had two RBI for New South Wales
New South Wales
Hits: Joseph-Riogi, Blyton, Love, Arafaki
RBI: Arafaki, Joseph-Riogi, Blyton, Love
Queensland
RBI: Hannah Wilson-Powell











