THE Australian Women’s Softball Team, Aussie Spirit, are locked in battle against World Number 6, Chinese Taipei, in the International Softball Series which began at Redlands Softball Association over the weekend.
The Aussie Spirit won both games on Saturday in two tightly contested games, before Chinese Taipei struck back on a weather interrupted Sunday.
GAME 1: AUSSIE SPIRIT 2 DEFEATED CHINESE TAIPEI 1
Nicole Connacher and Kandra Lamb were the standouts for Australia, with a game-winning hit from Connacher in extra innings sealing the win. Kandra Lamb pitched the entire game, dominating the Taipei hitters.
GAME 2: AUSSIE SPIRIT 6 DEFEATED CHINESE TAIPEI 5
Veteran pitchers Kaia Parnaby and Ellen Roberts teamed up to shut down the Taipei hitters after they jumped to an early 5-0 lead against the Spirit. Tamieka Whitefield, Shaylan Whatman and Alyssa Mighel led the Aussie’s run production, in another come-from-behind victory.
GAME 3: CHINESE TAIPEI 9 DEFEATED AUSSIE SPIRIT 2
Chinese Taipei hitters dominated the Australians from the beginning of the game, scoring 3 runs in the first innings off Australian veteran Kaia Parnaby. The Aussies used three pitchers throughout the game, including Parnaby, Kandra Lamb and Ellen Roberts, but they could not stop the Taipei hitters collecting 16 hits enroute to a 9-2 victory.
GAME 4: CHINESE TAIPEI 6 DEFEATED AUSSIE SPIRIT 4
In what promised to be a close battle before the skies opened over the Redlands Softball fields, the Aussie Spirit went down 6-4 in a shortened game. Australia middle order Shaylan Whatman, Jenna Trim and Kylie Steemers produced the offence for Australia, however the Aussie pitchers struggled to contain the Taipei hitters.
The series was tied two wins each after four games in the six-game Test series.
The remaining two games were played on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, after our deadline.
