Maya Brady Homers 3 Times as USA Softball Advances to World Cup Finals

Behind three home runs from Maya Brady, the United States Women’s National Team (WNT) grabbed its sixth-straight run-rule shutout victory in Oklahoma City to earn a spot in the 2027 WBSC Women’s World Cup Finals.

The matchup between No. 2 United States and No. 8 China was highly anticipated as China finished pool play in second place with its only loss to Team USA, but that didn’t faze the Eagles’ offense.

Four runs were put on the board in the bottom of the first thanks to home runs from Brady and Tiare Jennings.

Brady then nabbed her second homer of the game in the second inning and came through with her third of the day in the bottom of the sixth to walk it off with a two-run shot. She ended the outing going 3-for-4 at the plate.

UNREAL ‼️@BradyMaya CALLS GAME with her THIRD home run of the day! 💥🔥 pic.twitter.com/aYUFCYWvIw
— USA Softball Women's National Team 🇺🇸 (@USASoftballWNT) September 16, 2026

As for the circle, Karlyn Pickens and Rachel Garcia combined for a no-hitter. Pickens got the start and put up four strikeouts before Garcia took over in the fourth inning and struck out six.

9️⃣ batters faced. 9️⃣ batters retired. 6️⃣ strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/1wZ2Mnf1n8
— USA Softball Women's National Team 🇺🇸 (@USASoftballWNT) September 16, 2026

While going on an undefeated run in Oklahoma City, hardly any other team could match the numbers the U.S. put up. Brady ended with a .647 batting average, Jayda Coleman with .615, and Aubrey Leach with .545. As for the pitching staff, Pickens, Garcia, Montana Fouts, Kelly Maxwell, and Lexi Kilfoyl totaled 49 strikeouts, allowing just eight hits and no runs given up.

Patty Gasso’s squad led in 12 offensive categories, including batting average, hits, RBIs, and home runs.

GAME. OVER. 💥 @Wallace2Skylar sends it to the fence and walks it off in five! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/LBh2n8wCLj
— USA Softball Women's National Team 🇺🇸 (@USASoftballWNT) September 16, 2026

Mexico Punches Ticket to Finals, China Earns Final Wild Card Spot

As for the rest of the tournament, No. 7 Mexico scored seven runs in the fifth inning to defeat No. 6 Netherlands and advance to the final qualification game against China.

The victory was fitting as the celebration for Mexico's Independence Day spilled onto the field in Oklahoma City.

In a back-and-forth run affair against China, Mexico proved resilient and secured a place at the World Cup Finals with an 8-6 victory.

Kayden Henry managed to lead Mexico’s offense, going 4-for-4 with four runs scored and four RBIs. Mya Perez put up two hits and three RBIs, while Alexia Lopez went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Citlaly Gutierrez made the start in the circle before Mariah Mazon went five innings in relief, allowing three runs on five hits.

China’s dominant run in the tournament and third-place finish allowed the team to secure the second Wild Card position and a spot in the Finals.

The U.S., Mexico, and China now join Canada, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Puerto Rico in the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027 in Redcliffe, Australia.

The tournament will take place April 5-11, and the highest-placed team will book a ticket to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. If the United States wins, the second-place team will receive the berth. Team USA receives an automatic berth to the Olympics as the host.

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