Cadence Buscher, the pitcher who led American Samoa to a historic U-15 Women's Softball World Cup win
Fifteen year old Cadence Buscher will be forever part of American Samoa softball history. She threw a complete game to lead her team to a 8-1 win against world No. 10 Australia in the WBSC U-15 Women's Softball World Cup 2025 in Italy on Wednesday.
It's the first win for American Samoa at the Softball World Cup level. After making their debut last Friday at this age level, the No. 64 softball programme in the world had suffered five defeats in the Opening Round, albeit three of them only by small margins - 7-6 to Spain and 3-0 against Italy and Puerto Rico.
The right-hander has pitched in five out of the six games that American Samoa played in the tournament. She pitched 24 innings, allowing 24 hits and eight walks, while striking out 14. Her earned run average is a respectable 2.33.
"I feel good," Buscher said. "Being able to pitch a lot is just a blessing, and I'm happy to be here with these girls and these coaches doing what I do best."
Buscher attends Mountainside Middle School in Washington State, USA, and is scheduled to graduate in 2028. She plays for the Washington Angels.
Her goal is to play collegiate softball.
"I believe my chances are pretty good. I have already reached out to some colleges, I attended some camps. I have a few schools interested in me. It's pretty exciting."
American Samoa head coach Vili Faapouli believes participating in the WBSC U-15 Women's Softball World Cup will be noticed on Cadence's resume. A statement that Buscher welcomes with a smile.
Faapouli's pitching coach, John Jason Iuli-Kinsey, recruited Buscher. "He is also my pitching coach in the US," she said. "He asked me if I was interested in the experience, and I thought I had to take this chance."
Despite the heavy workload, Berger has showcased some of the best skills among the pitchers in the WBSC U-15 Women's Softball World Cup. Her speed is above the average.
"Speed helps," she commented. "But I think my best asset is my spin. I have a whirling spin on all my pitches, and I can locate them well, causing hitters to miss. I'm not the classic strikeout pitcher; I pop them out and ground them out.