U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup
October 21-29, 2023
Tokyo, Japan | Komazawa Olympic Park Sports Complex Baseball Stadium, Ota Stadium, Okura Sports Center Baseball Ground
Closing out the tournament with its sixth shutout, Team USA met Puerto Rico for a rematch in the gold medal contest after facing off in Opening Round where the U.S. posted a 6-0 win.Once again proving victorious, the U-15 WNT clinched its sixth shutout win with a 3-0 victory over Puerto Rico to finish atop the podium.
Participating countries: No. 16 Brazil, No. 5 Chinese Taipei, No. 10 Czechia, No. 8 Italy, No. 2 Japan, No. 6 Mexico, No. 23 New Zealand, No. 18 Peru, No. 21 Philippines, No. 3 Puerto Rico and No. 1 United States
| Date | Time (JST/CT) | Opponent | Live Stats/Box Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, October 21 | 5 p.m. JST / 3 a.m. CT | USA 10, Brazil 0 (4) | Box Score |
| Sunday, October 22 | 3 p.m. JST / 1 a.m. CT | USA 20, Philippines 0 (3) | Box Score |
| Monday, October 23 | 3 p.m. JST / 1 a.m. CT | USA 6, Puerto Rico 0 | Box Score |
| Tuesday, October 24 | 3 p.m. JST / 1 a.m. CT | USA 15, Czech Republic 0 (3) | Box Score |
| Thursday, October 26 | 5 p.m. JST / 3 a.m. CT | USA 5, Mexico 1 | Box Score |
| Friday, October 27 | 2 p.m. JST / 12 a.m. CT | USA 1, Japan 2 | Box Score |
| Saturday, October 28 | 5 p.m. JST / 3 a.m. CT | USA 10, Chinese Taipei 0 | Box Score |
| Sunday, October 29 | 2 p.m. JST / 12 a.m. CT | USA 3, Puerto Rico 0 *Gold Medal Game | Box Score |
Game 1 Recap
USA 10, Brazil 0 (4)
After an eight-run second inning, the Eagles opened the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup with a 10-0 run-rule victory over Brazil, highlighted by perfect 2-for-2 performances from Madelyn Armendariz and Jordyn Johnsen. Getting the start in the circle and clinching the U.S. pitching staff’s first no-hitter of the tournament was Lily Pullen with seven strikeouts through four innings. Starting off strong for the Eagles, Pullen retired three-straight batters – two via strikeout – in the top of the first to send the U.S. to the plate. Quick to get on the board, the Eagles plated one run in the bottom of the first thanks to a walk from South and a single from Johnsen that claimed the U.S. lead, 1-0.
The Red, White and Blue kept the spark alive in the bottom of the second inning, scoring eight runs thanks to a series of base hits and fielding miscues from the Brazil defense, extending the U.S. lead, 9-0. Following a quiet third inning, the U.S. saw its final run of the game cross the plate in the bottom of the fourth, credited to a pair of singles from Brooklyn Paratore and Taegan Lermann, along with a walk from Staats that set the stage for Addison Otto to send Paratore home with a fielder’s choice play that pressured the Brazil defense into a fielding error – sealing the 10-0 run-rule victory for the Eagles.
Game 2 Recap
USA 20, Brazil 0 (3)
Proving dominant once again, Team USA clinched its second-straight run-rule victory of the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup behind an explosive offensive performance and a perfect game tossed by Madi Doty. Retiring all nine batters that she faced in order – eight via strikeout – Doty sealed the shutout win while only allowing one Philippines batter to make contact through three innings.
Scoring early and often, the Eagles scored six runs in the top of the first thanks so a series of base hits before tacking on two more in the top of the second and an impressive 12 runs in the top of the third. Highlighting the U.S. offense with a perfect multi-hit day at the plate was Brooklyn Paratore (3-for-3), Sam Alekman (2-for-2) and Stevie South (2-for-2) in addition to six triples from the U.S. bats. A true team win, 12 U.S. batters recorded at least one hit on the day while combining for a .680 batting average.
Game 3 Recap
USA 6, Puerto Rico 0
The Red, White and Blue closed out game three of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup with a 6-0 shutout victory over Puerto Rico, highlighted by explosive offensive performances from Anabela Abdullah (2-for-2) and Aspen Boulware (1-for-3) – who each blasted a home run in the matchup.
In the circle against Puerto Rico was Macie Bryant, allowing only two hits through seven innings while retiring 17 batters via strikeout. The U.S. offense got on the board early thanks to a walk from Boulware and a single from Sofia Hernandez, clinching a 1-0 lead for the Eagles in the top of the first. Abdullah kept the momentum going in the top of the second with a lead-off home run, extending the U.S. lead, 2-0. Following a quiet three innings, Boulware lifted the Eagles to a 3-0 lead after sending a deep fly ball over the right field fence in the top of the sixth, while a series of singles and a double from Stevie South in the top of the seventh put the U.S. on top, 6-0. Bryant stayed hot in the circle with three-straight K’s to seal the shutout win for the Eagles.
Game 4 Recap
USA 15, Czech Republic 0
Team USA improved to 4-0 at the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup following a 15-0 run-rule victory over the Czech Republic to close out opening round and advance to the super round as the No. 1 seed in Group B.
Staying hot at the plate, the Eagles came out strong in game four with 15 runs on 13 hits behind perfect 3-for-3 performances from Sam Alekman and Stevie South, in addition to 2-for-2 performances from Jordyn Johnsen and Brooklyn Paratore. A triple from Aubrey McLaughlin and doubles off the bats of Alekman, Johnsen, Paratore and South also helped propel the U.S. offense while Taegan Lermann, Madi Doty and Lily Pullen took control in the circle to combine for four strikeouts.
Game 5 Recap
USA 5, Mexico 1
The world-ranked No. 1 Team USA improved to 5-0 today at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup following a 5-1 win over No. 6 Mexico to kick off Super Round. Shining for the Eagles at the plate was Aspen Boulware with a 2-for-3 performance, tabbing two home runs in the matchup – one of which was an inside-the-park haul while the other was a deep ball to right field.
In the circle for the U.S. was Macie Bryant, allowing only four hits through seven innings while retiring 16 via strikeout. The U.S. offense remained steady throughout the matchup, scoring one run in the bottom of the first thanks to a series of walks and a line drive single from Sam Alekman that clinched the U.S. lead, 1-0. Boulware kept the momentum going in the bottom of the second following a fly ball that allowed her to speed home for an inside-the-park home run. Mexico managed to get on the board in the top of the fourth after bunt single and a U.S. fielding miscue allowed one run to cross the plate, narrowing the U.S. lead, 2-1 – marking the first run scored against the U-15 WNT since its inception. A double from Madelyn Armendariz and a single from Aubrey McLaughlin in the bottom of the fourth saw another U.S. run in, extending the U.S. lead 3-1. Following a quiet fifth inning, Boulware relit the spark with a lead-off home run over the right field fence in the bottom of the sixth followed by a pair of singles from McLaughlin and Addison Otto that plated one more, putting the Eagles ahead 5-1 – while Bryant remained steady in the circle to seal the win for Team USA.
Game 6 Recap
USA 1, Japan 2
The U.S. U-15 Women’s National Team (WNT) came up short in the second matchup of Super Round at the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), suffering a narrow 2-1 loss to Japan. The Red, White and Blue heads into the final day of Super Round with a 5-1 record and will continue its quest to stand atop the podium with medal rounds slated to take place Sunday, Oct. 29.
The U.S. offense struggled to come alive in today’s matchup with a combined seven hits on the day, four of which came off the bats of Aspen Boulware (2) and Stevie South (2) – highlighted by an inside-the-park home run from Boulware, her fourth home run of the tournament. Lily Pullen got the start in the circle for the Eagles, tossing 1.1 innings before handing things over to Madi Doty in the top of the second. The pair combined for five strikeouts while allowing five hits.
Taking the lead in the top of the second, Team Japan held on to a 2-0 lead until the bottom of the seventh when Boulware posted her second inside-the-park home run of the tournament with a fly ball to center field. In typical Team USA and Japan fashion, the seven-inning contest came down to the final outs and featured stellar defensive performances from both sides.
Game 7 Recap
USA 10, Chinese Taipei 0
Capping off Super Round, the U-15 Women’s National Team (WNT) improved to 6-1 today at the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Women’s World Cup after clinching a 10-0 run-rule victory over Chinese Taipei. Today’s win advances the U.S. to the inaugural U-15 Women’s World Cup gold medal game slated for tomorrow at 2 p.m. JST (12 a.m. CT) against Puerto Rico.
The Eagles continued to show dominance at the plate, combining for nine hits on the day with seven U.S. batters tabbing a hit in the matchup – highlighted by perfect multi-hit performances from Sofia Hernandez (2-for-2) and Aubrey McLaughlin (2-for-2). Macie Bryant and Madi Doty took care of business in the circle, combining for 10 strikeouts and allowing only one hit through four innings.
The Red, White and Blue was quick to get on the board, plating five runs in the bottom of the first thanks to a series of walks and a pair of doubles from Brooklyn Paratore and McLaughlin, in addition to a passed ball that allowed McLaughlin to speed home – putting the U.S. ahead, 5-0. Staying hot at the plate, the Eagles extended the lead to 7-0 after another series of walks and a line drive from Hernandez plated two. Following a quiet third inning, Sam Alekman relit the spark with a lead-off single that set the stage for Kenya Lapuaho to blast a two-run homer to center field, while a single, a walk and a defensive error filled the bases for a walk from Taegan Lermann to plate the final run of the game – sealing the 10-0 run-rule for the U.S.
Game 8 Recap – Gold Medal
USA 3, Puerto Rico 0
Capping a dominant week in Tokyo, Japan, the U.S. U-15 Women’s National Team (WNT) clinched the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup gold medal after defeating Puerto Rico 3-0. The Eagles combined for six hits in the win, highlighted by a multi-hit performance at the plate from Sofia Hernandez (2-for-3) – her third of the tournament. Shining in the circle for the Eagles was Macie Bryant who tossed 17 strikeouts in the matchup while only allowing one hit through seven innings.
Closing out the tournament with its sixth shutout, Team USA met Puerto Rico for a rematch in the gold medal contest after facing off in Opening Round where the U.S. posted a 6-0 win.Once again proving victorious, the U-15 WNT clinched its sixth shutout win with a 3-0 victory over Puerto Rico to finish atop the podium. The Puerto Rico defense looked to force a slow start for the U.S., but Aspen Boulware and Stevie South had other plans as the duo used a pair of singles to plate one, while Anabela Abdullah pressured the defense with a bunt to force an error that allowed South to speed home – claiming the U.S. lead, 2-0 in the bottom of the first. The next four innings saw great defensive work from both sides until Kenya Lapuaho got things going in the bottom of the sixth with a line-drive single. Hernandez then sent a fly ball to right field for a double to set the stage for an RBI-single from Riley Staats to plate the final U.S. run of the game – extending the U.S. lead, 3-0. Macie Bryant remained hot in the circle, retiring all three batters – two via strikeout – to seal the gold medal win for the Eagles.
