After two days under a national state of emergency due to inclement weather in Taiwan, it looked like the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage in Tainan was never going to get underway.
A revised schedule for what would have been day three of the tournament was published on Monday evening, which would see Great Britain Women play their first two games against Venezuela and Japan on Tuesday. However, as morning broke, it was announced that both games would be postponed, with teams told to be on standby to play should the weather break.
As late afternoon came around, the baseball gods shone down on Tainan with a break in the weather. Following fantastic work by the ground crew at the Asia-Pacific International Baseball Centre to ensure the field would be playable, GB were notified that they would play their opening game against Venezuela in a shortened five-inning contest at 7.30pm.
Laura Hirai was given the nod to start on the mound, as well as having the honour of being the first batter to face a pitch at the tournament.
After two successive strikeouts by Venezuelan pitcher Garcia Gonzalez, GB’s third batter, Darier Malone, drew a walk, but that’s where the inning would end. After issuing a walk, Hirai forced Venezuela’s next three batters into successive outs, ending the first inning scoreless.
GB went down in order in the top of the second before Venezuela, ranked fifth in the world, came to life in the bottom of the inning. Helped along by a couple of GB errors, they scored five runs.
With two outs in the top of the third inning, Hirai singled for GB’s first hit of the game but would be left on base.
Oona Ylinen came in for Hirai in the bottom of the third inning, giving up one run on a sacrifice fly by Colina Riera.
The top of the fourth inning started with Malone walking and Trask being hit by a pitch. After Scatliffe went down swinging, Malone scored GB’s first run when a catcher’s pick-off attempt to third base went wild. Captain Dani Briggs reached base on a throwing error, but the top of the inning would end with two left on base.
Venezuela increased the pressure, scoring three further runs in the inning, but the GB women were not going to go down without a fight. Laura Bailes, who had replaced Ylinen on the mound, attempted to pick off Natera Arteaga at first. Natera Arteaga took off for second but was subsequently tagged out by Briggs as she reached the base.
As play entered the fifth and final inning, GB were trailing by eight. Hirai doubled to record GB’s second hit of the game, while Darier Malone reached after being hit by a pitch and was replaced by Lhiez Del a Paz, who came in as a pinch runner. Venezuela then looked to their bullpen to clinch the final out.
Hirai would score GB’s second run of the game on a balk, but unfortunately that’s where the game would end as Amy Trask went down swinging.
“We are very proud of the team and how we dealt with all the adversity even just to get this historic game started.” said Head Coach Pietro Sollecito “GB has demonstrated that we belong on this stage and with this first experience under our belt, we expect some exceptional results over the remainder of the tour.”
Next up for the GB women will be game two against world number one Japan, weather permitting, on Wednesday.
Photos courtesy of WBSC