26 July 2010

VENEZUELA WINS MEN’S CACG TITLE
In Puerto Rico, the Venezuela men’s national softball team has captured the gold medal at the XXI Central American & Caribbean Games. Yesterday they defeated the Dominican Republic, 2-1, in extra innings to successfully defend their title from the 2006 edition of the multi-sport event. Mexico finished as the men’s bronze medalist by way of a 5-3 defeat that sent the Dominicans on to the gold medal game. The latter was scoreless after seven innings. Both teams scored a run in the eighth inning, with Venezuela getting the eventual game- and tournament-winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

Meanwhile, the women’s softball competition is now underway, with the medal games scheduled for this Friday. Find out more on the official event website at www.mayaguez2010.com.

WORLD CUP OF SOFTBALL ENDS TONIGHT
The medal games at World Cup of Softball 5, an invitational tournament sanctioned by the ISF, are scheduled for today in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (USA). There is one pool play game remaining before Canada takes on a to-be-determined opponent in the bronze medal game, followed by Team USA against a to-be-determined opponent in the gold medal game. Extensive TV coverage is being done worldwide on ESPN as well as online at ESPN3.com.

ISF President Don Porter and Director of Competition Laurie Gouthro both were in Oklahoma City for the tournament, which began last Thursday.

OTHER EVENTS PLAYING OUT WORLDWIDE
On the homepage of the ISF website there is an article about the 7th European Coed Slowpitch Championship held earlier this month. Now, this week, both the XI Jr. Girls European Championship and the X Men’s European Championship are taking place, in Austria and the Czech Republic, respectively.

Furthermore, on Sunday (August 1) the 7th Micronesian Games will begin in Palau, with softball one of the sports on the programme there over ten days at the Meyuns Ball Field.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS IN THE MIX TOO
ISF President Don Porter recently attended the softball competition at the Special Olympics USA National Games in Lincoln, Nebraska (USA). He was joined there by Annie Constantinides, who was the venue and competition manager for the 2004 Olympic softball competition in Athens, Greece. She will serve in those same roles next year as the Sport Manager for the softball competition at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, which will utilize the facility from the Olympic competition that will hit its six-year anniversary next month.