RAIN DAMPENS DAY SIX, JAPAN & U.S.A. DAMPEN TWO TEAMS’ SPIRITS

SASAKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN – When the rain began in the morning and then kept coming down, the question wasn’t when play would finally start, it was if. But by the end of Wednesday night, five of the eight originally scheduled games had been completed, making tomorrow’s final day of round robin play a full one. Eleven games will now be played tomorrow, beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending with a 9:30 p.m. game, as the International Softball Federation’s X Women’s World Championship heads into the homestretch.

Amazingly, the two marquee games of the day went unscathed. A pair of 5-0 teams squared off at 6:30 when Japan took on Australia. One hundred minutes later, the Aussies had the first dent in their record. Japan pitcher Hiroko Sakai pitched a complete game and struck out nine in blanking Australia, 5-0. Catcher Noriko Yamaji homered to lead the offense.

The two 5-0 teams from Pool A then squared off, with the United States shutting down China, 4-0. The Americans are still yet to be scored on in the tournament. Lisa Fernandez went the distance for the winners, striking out ten. Third baseman Nina Lindenberg hit her second home run of the tournament.

The day had finally been able to start at 5:30, with an important game for Puerto Rico against the Netherlands. Puerto Rico raised its record to 4-2, winning by a score of 3-1. The Netherlands had jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. They now fall to 2-4.

In what should have been the real first game of the day, New Zealand maintained a tie with Puerto Rico for third place in Pool B by blanking South Africa, 5- 0. Originally scheduled for 11:30 this morning, the teams finally took the field at 7:30 p.m. and played a sloppy game that saw a total of five errors and 14 runners left on base.

What should’ve been the second game of the day, Venezuela versus the Dominican Republic, got rescheduled to 9:30 p.m. and ended in a 10-5 Venezuela victory. The game was tied at five after six innings, before the winners broke it open with five runs in the top of the seventh, including three which scored when first baseman Maria Soto’s fly ball to right centerfield was dropped when the Dominican Republic’s center and rightfielders collided.

In addition to the eight games originally scheduled for tomorrow, the following (postponed by today’s rain) will also be played: Canada vs. Netherlands Antilles (9:30 a.m.), Italy vs. Czech Republic (7:30 p.m.), and Russia vs. Chinese Taipei (9:30 p.m.). The latter two games will take place at Gordon Howe Park, with the Canada game taking place in Bob Van Impe Stadium.

For more details on the games as well as tournament statistics and leaders, use the link below to the event's official website and click on Results. A text recap of each game can also be found on that site by clicking on Media Services from the homepage. That website also has the full tournament schedule. Media members and fans are also encouraged to visit this ISF website throughout the World Championship.

The top four teams from this event will qualify to play in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The medal games here are scheduled for Sunday, August 4.

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