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Canada, Chinese Taipei Advance to WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Final

Canada's Janet Leung was named the Most Outstanding Player of Group Prague.
Nicole Reitz|
Canada punched its ticket to the Finals in 2027.
Canada punched its ticket to the Finals in 2027. | WBSC

With the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage completed in Prague, two teams have secured the two available berths to the Finals in Redcliffe, Australia, in April 2027. 

After five days of intense matchups, No. 4 Canada earned the first ticket to the finals with a close 8-7 win over No. 5 Chinese Taipei. Chinese Taipei then bounced back in another nail-biter, taking Italy down 9-8 to claim the second spot. 

By the end of the tournament, Chinese Taipei led all teams with a .419 batting average, followed by Canada at .395. Canada led the home run leaderboard with eight, while Italy and Chinese Taipei had six. 

Here’s a look at how Canada and Chinese Taipei performed to clinch their Finals spots. 

No. 4 Canada 8, No. 5 Chinese Taipei 7 

Canada came out strong in the first inning with an early 5-0 lead, including a two-run home run by Kianna Jones, but Chinese Taipei rallied in the sixth inning to take the game into extra innings. 

 Hsuan Liu reached on a one-out single and advanced to third on Chi-Ying Lin's base hit. Szu-Shih Li then knocked a single to the left side, allowing Liu to score the tying run. 

Tied into the ninth inning, Janet Leung laid down a perfect bunt to move Grace Messmer from second to third. Messmer scored on a groundout, and Caitlyn Wong followed up with an RBI single to make the score 8-6. 

In one last effort, Chinese Taipei put another run on the board, but Leung was stellar at shortstop to fend off Hsuan Liu’s grounder, recording the final out. 

"We knew it would be a game of punches and counter-punches," Canada’s head coach, Kaleigh Rafter, said in the WBSC press release. "It was a heavyweight type of boxing match. It was back and forth, but it was a good game, really a good game."

No. 5 Chinese Taipei 8, No. 9 Italy 7

Chinese Taipei scored two runs in the first three innings and took a large 7-1 lead into the fifth. Italy was able to rally and score three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth due to home runs from Erika Piancastelli and McKenzie Barbara. 

But with six outs to go, Italy had two costly defensive errors, allowing Chinese Taipei to score again for the victory. Chinese Taipei combined for 24 hits with two home runs, and utilized nine pitchers the entire game. 

"We accepted the outcome of the game against Canada," Chinese Taipei’s head coach Hsin-Lin Han said in the WBSC press release. "We used the time between the two games to identify the problems we had and work on solving them. When Italy took the lead, we knew it wasn't over.”

Canada's Janet Leung Named Most Outstanding Player

Leung not only led Canada to the next round of the tournament but she was named the Most Outstanding Player in Group Prague after going 10-for-18 at the plate for a .556 batting average. She did not strike out once, and played flawless defense across six games.

The 32-year-old and Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist said she couldn't have done it alone after the tournament.

"I couldn't have done it without every other player on our team," Leung told the WBSC. "I want to give all the credit to my teammates as well. I'm just happy I could perform. I did it for them."

About the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup

With play in Prague done, the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage will be played across the world in various locations, including Lima, Peru, and Oklahoma City, Okla. 

Winners of each group stage will then head to the finals in Redcliffe, Australia, in April 2027. One Olympic berth for Los Angeles in 2028 will be available for the top-ranked team there. 

Group Lima: July 14-18, 2026, Villa María del Triunfo Softball Stadium

July 14: 

  • No. 13 Philippines vs. No. 16 Venezuela
  • No. 18 Peru vs. No. 3 Puerto Rico
  • No. 1 Japan vs. No. 12 Great Britain

July 15: 

  • No. 3 Puerto Rico vs. No. 16 Venezuela
  • No. 13 Philippines vs. No. 1 Japan
  • No. 18 Peru vs. No. 12 Great Britain
  • No. 18 Peru vs. No. 1 Japan

July 16: 

  • No. 3 Puerto Rico vs. No. 13 Philippines
  • No. 16 Venezuela vs. No. 1 Japan
  • No. 13 Philippines vs. No. 12 Great Britain
  • No. 16 Venezuela vs. No. 18 Peru

July 17: 

  • No. 12 Great Britain vs. No. 3 Puerto Rico 
  • No. 1 Japan vs. No. 3 Puerto Rico 
  •  No. 12 Great Britain vs. No. 16 Venezuela 
  • No. 13 Philippines vs. No. 18 Peru

The round robin will finish on July 17, with playoffs scheduled for 18 July.

Group Oklahoma City: September 12-16, Devon Park 

September 12: 

  • No. 36 South Africa vs No. 8 China 
  • No. 23 New Zealand vs No. 6 Netherlands
  • No. 2 U.S. vs. No. 7 Mexico

September 13: 

  • No. 8 China vs. No. 23 New Zealand
  • No. 7 Mexico vs. No. 6 Netherlands
  • No. 2 U.S. vs. No. 36 South Africa 
  • No. 6 Netherlands vs. No. 2 U.S. 

September 14: 

  • No. 7 Mexico vs. No. 36 South Africa 
  • No. 23 New Zealand vs. No. 7 Mexico 
  • No. 8 China vs. No. 6 Netherlands
  • No. 2 U.S. vs. No. 23 New Zealand

September 15: 

  • No. 36 South Africa vs. No. 6 Netherlands
  • No. 23 New Zealand vs. No. 36 South Africa 
  • No. 7 Mexico vs. No. 8 China 
  • No. 8 China vs. No. 2 U.S.

The round robin will run through September 15, with the playoffs scheduled for September 16. 

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Published | Modified
Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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