USA EDGES HOST FOR TITLE
2006-07-24

After having fallen to them twice, Team USA wasn’t about to make it three losses in a row to Chinese Taipei. The host team made them work for it though
as the Americans needed an extra inning to win the
II World University Softball Championship on Saturday, 4-3.

Samantha Findlay doubled to score two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to give USA its second World University Softball Championship title, after having beaten Japan, 3-2, earlier in the day in another eight inning game, which left the Japanese with the bronze medal.

In the Grand Final, the U.S. took a 1-0 lead in the third inning before seeing Chinese Taipei take a one run lead in the top of the fourth. Lindsay Schutzler’s RBI-single tied the game, 2-2, in the bottom of the fifth. USA had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t push the winning run across. In the top of the eighth it was Chinese Taipei’s turn to load the bases, and this time a run did score, and the teams headed to the bottom of the inning with the Americans seeking to come back from one run down for the second time in the game. They did so with Findlay’s hit to left field.

The event took place at the new Tainan Municipal Softball Stadium in Taiwan and also included Australia, South Africa, and Thailand.

Women’s (fast pitch) softball will be on the programme of the World University Games next year (August 11-17) in Bangkok.