*** Reports courtesy of the Women’s Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC)

The WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Finals got underway on Saturday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City with eight games across Groups A and B. 

In Group A, defending champions USA remain undefeated after sweeping their doubleheader. The hosts blanked China, 6-0, before topping Chinese Taipei, 9-0, to take sole possession of first place and move within one win of clinching a Super Round berth. Earlier in the day, Chinese Taipei rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Canada, 9-2.

In Group B, Japan opened their campaign with a 9-2 victory over Czechia to grab the top spot in the standings. Czechia bounced back in the nightcap, defeating Puerto Rico, 4-0. Puerto Rico had earlier edged Mexico, 8-7, in a thrilling nine-inning contest.

Sunday Games

Sunday’s action at Devon Park will wrap up the Opening Round of the tournament, with six games set to determine the four teams advancing to the Super Round.

In Group A, Canada and China open the day at 11 a.m. in search of their first win of the tournament. Later, China will take on Chinese Taipei at 3:30 p.m., before Canada faces defending champions USA in the night game at 8 p.m.

In Group B, Japan and Mexico will play a doubleheader. The two teams clash at 11 a.m., and the world No. 1 will return to the field at 3:30 p.m. against Puerto Rico. The group stage will conclude with a decisive matchup between Czechia and Mexico, potentially with a Super Round spot on the line.

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Here’s a recap and highlights of each of Saturday’s games:

USA 6, China 0

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A first-inning grand slam by Brooklyn Paratore set the tone for USA’s 6-0 victory over China in their opening game of the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Finals. Catcher Juliana Hutchens added a solo home run, while the U.S. offence collected eight hits in total.

Starting pitcher Caroline Stanton earned the win with six scoreless innings, scattering six hits and a walk while striking out four. Reliever Madelyn Doty closed the game in the seventh, retiring the side with two strikeouts.

China’s Menghuan Zhou was charged with the loss.

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USA 9, Chinese Taipei 0

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Payton Westra put USA on the board in the first inning with a 238-foot home run over the right-field fence, following a pair of two-out walks. The defending world champions never looked back, cruising to a 9-0 win over Chinese Taipei in five innings.

Aspen Boulware and Juliana Hutchens also went deep, combining with Westra for seven RBIs. Emma Ford added a two-run double to fuel the offense.

Lillian Goodwin earned the win after four dominant innings, striking out eight while scattering two hits and two walks.

For Chinese Taipei, starter Ting-Yu He lasted just two-thirds of an inning, giving up four runs on three hits to take the loss.

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Japan 9, Czechia 2

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Japan opened their campaign with a 9-2 victory over Czechia, sparked by a four-run rally in the top of the first inning. Rino Shimazu led the offense with three RBIs, while Mebae Noguchi and Yumeka Kagen chipped in two RBIs apiece for the Asian side.

Japan used four pitchers in the game, with Mayumi Fujiwara earning the win. Czechia’s starter Lucie Vecerova was charged with the loss.

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Czechia 4, Puerto Rico 0

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Nikola Skardova delivered a masterful performance to power Czechia past Puerto Rico, 4-0, keeping the European champions in strong contention for a Super Round berth. The right-hander tossed a three-hit shutout, striking out 10 while issuing just one walk.

Kristyna El Ghannam led the offense with two RBIs, while Bara Jedelska and Kamila Groeslova each added one. Amalie Kalcevova went 2-for-3 and crossed the plate twice.

Puerto Rico’s Taliah Murria took the loss in the circle.

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Puerto Rico 8, Mexico 7

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A walk-off single by Sabrina Boyer in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Puerto Rico to a thrilling 8-7 victory over Mexico in their opener in Oklahoma City. The Caribbean side took advantage of four defensive errors by Mexico, which resulted in five unearned runs and proved decisive in the Group B matchup. Mexico outhit their rivals 13-6.

Reliever Brooke Simmons earned the victory for Puerto Rico after throwing 2.2 innings. She allowed just one unearned run — the tie-break runner in the eighth — on one hit, striking out one and walking one. Lilianna Acosta was charged with the loss for Mexico.

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Chinese Taipei 9, Canada 2

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Chinese Taipei overcame an early 2-0 deficit with nine unanswered runs to defeat Canada, 9-2, in their Group A opener at the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup Finals.

A double by Jia-Jhen Cheng ignited a decisive seven-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning. Yi-Zhen Zhuang went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI, while catcher Chen-Hsuan Chang drove in three runs to lead the Asian side.

For Canada, Avery Tucker finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Rylee Ruppel, one of four Canadian pitchers used in the game, took the loss.

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2025 U-18 Women’s National Team (Players & Coaches)

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