The Aussie Spirit have recorded two from two wins at the WBSC Asia/Oceania Olympic Qualifier in Shanghai after defeating Chinese Taipei 5-1 and Indonesia 8-0.
The Australian women's softball team have been dominant in their bid for Tokyo 2020 qualification, conceding only one run across two games.
Game one against Chinese Taipei was a pitching and defensive masterclass through five tense innings with neither side able to land the first blow, despite a number of scoring opportunities.
Australia left seven runners stranded to Chinese Taipei’s four over the first five stanzas, New South Wales pitcher Kaia Parnaby came up clutch to dismiss her opposing batters six times, a number of which had runners threatening on third base.
In the fifth, the Aussie Spirit came to life when Queenslander Chelsea Forkin belted a double and was brought home by a Carmie Sorensen single.
Not to be outdone, perennial big hitter Taylah Tsitikronis smoked a two run homer over the centre field fence to put Australia in control 3-1.
The Australian defence again shone in the bottom of the fifth with Forkin making a crucial catch in the right outfield to dismiss Chinese Taipei when they looked threatening with loaded bases.
Parnaby snuffed out a fightback when Chinese Taipei belted a home run of their own in the bottom of the sixth but it was put to bed by the Australians with two more runs coming in the top of the seventh, Sorensen and Tsitsikronis again doing the damage.
Game two against Indonesia saw the Aussie Spirit take a commanding lead.
Gabbie Plain opened the pitching and after shaking off some nerves was immediately effective recording a strikeout in the top of the first.
Australia wasted no time with some brilliant team batting rotating runners around the diamond. Booming doubles from two-time Olympian Stacey Porter, Rachel Lack and a triple from Taylah Tsitsikronis led to a 4-0 lead after just one inning.
In defence, the Aussie Spirit were just as devastating making light work of the Indonesia bats in the second inning with a brilliant double play instigated by Porter with Tsitsikronis and Clare Warwick finishing it off.
The carve up continued in the second for Australia with Porter driving another two runners home along with Michelle Cox working two more scoring plays around the bases for a 8-0 lead.
Plain’s class came to the fore in the top of the third recording three quick strikeouts and six for the game. Indonesia stopped the bleeding in the bottom of the inning, removing the Aussie batters and keeping them scoreless for the first time in the game.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Indonesia were again unable to score in the fifth, this time against Tarni Stepto’s pitching.
The game was called early courtesy of the ‘Run Ahead Rule’ deeming Australia’s lead unassailable and awarding them the win in the bottom of the fifth.
Australia will play Hong Kong in the final of the pool games at 7:30pm AEST Thursday before the Super Rounds begin on Friday, you can watch on the Live Stream HERE
