USA reach World Championship final with shut out of Chinese Taipei
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>No. 4 USA posted 11 hits to secure a decisive <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/index.php/index.php/en/events/2024-ix-womens-baseball-world-cup-finals/schedule-and-results/box-score/131790">9-0</a> victory over World No. 2 Chinese Taipei on Wednesday in the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-ix-womens-baseball-world-cup-finals/home">WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup Finals 2024, presented by CARNEXT</a> at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Canada.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>USA's fourth win advanced them to Saturday's World Championship final against Japan, as Chinese Taipei struggled to convert early opportunities into runs and committed three errors.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:ve30/twitter-iframe {"url":"https://www.twitter.com/WBSC/status/1818770554503196822"} -->
<blockquote class="wp-block-ve30-twitter-iframe twitter-tweet" allowtransparency="0" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="auto"><a href="https://www.twitter.com/WBSC/status/1818770554503196822"></a></blockquote>
<!-- /wp:ve30/twitter-iframe -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The United States scored in their first at-bat. Chinese Taipei starter Li-Ching Huang hit Ashton Lansdell and walked Alex Hugo to lead off the game. Lansdell stole third and scored on Olivia Pichardo's sacrifice fly to centre field.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Chinese Taipei got to USA starter Elise Berger with back-to-back singles by Yi-Hsuan Chiu and Yu-Ying Hsieh in the top of the second. Berger picked Chiu off second base for the first out.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Chiao-Yun Huang kept the Chinese Taipei at-bat alive with a single to left field. Hsiao-Mei Chen lined out to shortstop, but the runners advanced to third and second when the US tried to close the inning with a double play, and the throw to first went beyond the bag. Berger loaded the bases with a walk to Yu-Chuan Tu, then got out of the inning on a pop to first.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Chinese Taipei reached on back-to-back two-out singles by Yen-Tzu Hung and Yi-Hsuan Chiu. Berger received some crucial help from centre fielder Kelsie Whitmore, who fielded Chiu's liner and likely prevented a run, then got out of the jam on strikes.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>USA extended the lead in the top of the third. Huang hit Hugo to lead off the inning. Hugo advanced to second on a one-out balk. USA loaded the bases on a walk and Remy Schaber's single. Jillian Albayati followed with a two-RBI single up the middle to make it a 3-0 game.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Naomi Ryan singled on the first pitch she saw to lead off the fourth. She stole second and reached third on Hugo's one-out single. Kelsie Whitmore doubled along the left line despite a diving attempt by Yen-Tzu Hung, extending the US lead to 5-0. Whitmore advanced on a throwing error and scored on a passed ball.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:core-embed/youtube {"url":"https://youtu.be/j2g85m4JEWE?si=iwE5bfekJieY8IKq","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","className":"wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} -->
<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/j2g85m4JEWE?si=iwE5bfekJieY8IKq
</div></figure>
<!-- /wp:core-embed/youtube -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Chinese Taipei then handed the ball to left-hander Yu-Pei Chen.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The US added a run in the top of the fifth. Ashton Lansdell reached on a two-out double, stole third, and scored on an error.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Kate Blunt relieved Berger in the bottom of the fifth. She allowed two walks but kept Chinese Taipei scoreless.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Pinch hitter Kylee Lahners reached on a one-out single in the top of the sixth. Alana Martinez followed with a base hit, loading the bases on a walk. Valerie Perez extended the US lead to 9-0 with a two-RBI single.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Cody Eckert pitched two perfect innings to close out the game.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:html -->
<a data-flickr-embed="true" data-context="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wbsc/53892959792/in/album-72177720319245105/" title="20240731_G10_MEX - JPN-7014"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53892959792_c16dcb9176_z.jpg" width="640" height="442" alt="20240731_G10_MEX - JPN-7014"></a><script async="" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<!-- /wp:html -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The United States will face No. 1 Japan at 10:00 local time on Day 5. The winner will have the home-team advantage in Saturday's World Championship final.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>USA and Japan have faced each other four times in the Women's Baseball World Cup Final, with a record of 2-2. USA won in 2004 and 2006, while Japan won in 2012 and 2014.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Chinese Taipei will conclude their Women's Baseball World Cup Finals by playing No. 7 Canada at 19:00.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->