CHINESE TAIPEI HEADED TO OLYMPICS
2007-02-06

With just two teams left to be determined, Chinese Taipei is the first team headed to next year’s Olympic Softball competition with a perfect record from the event through which they qualified. Today in Tainan City, Taiwan, they swept the best-of-three finals series against New Zealand at the Asia/Oceania Olympic qualifier, winning 8-0 then 9-7. Chinese Taipei had gone unbeaten (10-0) in double round robin play.

They now join Australia, Canada, Japan, USA, and the host team in what will be a field of eight at next year’s Olympic Softball competition in Beijing, China.

In game one today it was all Chinese Taipei. The host team opened up a 5-0 lead after just two innings. New Zealand mustered five hits in the game, which went just six innings due to the international run-ahead rule.

The second game had a dramatic finish as the Kiwis made the host team sweat out their final victory. Chinese Taipei had jumped out to a commanding 6-0 lead in the first inning and had the lead up to nine before New Zealand broke through with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. After being kept off the scoreboard in the sixth inning the White Sox loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, setting the stage for pitcher Sheree Cartwright, who stepped to the plate and hit a grand slam home run to pull her team within two. That was all New Zealand had left though and Chinese Taipei was on their way to their second consecutive Olympics.

Having relieved starter Michelle Kingi in the first inning, Cartwright took the loss in the circle, while Chinese Taipei used five pitchers to secure the win.

The other two participants in the 2008 Olympic Softball competition will be determined at the following regional qualifiers:
Africa/Europe: June 9-16 in Trieste, Italy
Americas : August 18-26 in Caracas, Venezuela