Japan wins 6th consecutive Women’s Baseball World Cup

Japan was dominant in sweeping its way to a sixth consecutive Women’s Baseball World Cup, finishing things off by beating Chinese Taipei 6-0 in the final on Friday.

Japan entered the tournament in Viera, Fla. as the top seed and has lived up to the billing, winning all nine games by a cumulative score of 63-4. Against the other five teams in the Super Round, Japan was 6-0 with a total score of 31-2.

Ayami Soto was named tournament MVP for Japan, who has won the Women’s World Cup in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Chinese Taipei was 6-3 in the World Cup to capture the silver medal. Fittingly, Japan’s toughest game in the World Cup was a narrow 2-1 win over Chinese Taipei on Wednesday.

Earlier on Friday, Canada beat the United States 8-5, to capture the bronze.

Twelve teams descend on Viera, Florida, for the 2018 Women’s Baseball World Cup, with the United States and Canada among the top contenders trying to wrest away championship control from top-seeded Japan.

Japan enters the tournament as the No. 1 team in the world, after winning the last five World Cups (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016). Canada, who was runner-up to Japan in 2014, is the No. 2 seed this year, with the U.S. right behind, ranked third. The United States has medaled in all seven previous World Cups, beating Japan to win the gold in both 2004 and 2006.

This is the first time the U.S. has hosted the Women’s Baseball World Cup, with all the games held at USSSA Sports Complex in Florida, former spring training home to MLB’s Marlins, Expos, and Nationals.

Games start Wednesday, Aug. 22, with the championship game set for Friday, Aug. 31.

The teams are split into groups of six, and in the first round each team will play every other team in their group. The top three teams from each group advance to the Super Round, with teams from each group playing the other three teams in the other group.

The four teams that advance to the Final Round will be determined by their record from the entire tournament against the other five teams in the Super Round.

In the Final Round, the top two teams will play for the gold medal, while the third and fourth teams play for the bronze.

Group A: United States, Venezuela, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Netherlands, Puerto Rico

Group B: Japan, Canada, Australia, Cuba, Hong Kong, Dominican Republic

Rankings:

Every game of the 2018 Women’s Baseball World Cup will be streamed online by USSSA, and also available via the WBSC on YouTube.

All times ET

Friday, Aug. 31

Bronze Medal Game: Canada def. United States, 7-5

Gold Medal Game: Japan def. Chinese Taipei, 6-0

Tuesday, Aug. 28
Chinese Taipei def. Dominican Republic, 2-1
Canada vs. Venezuela, 5-0
Japan vs. United States, 3-0

Wednesday, Aug. 29
Venezuela def. Dominican Republic, 12-2
Japan def. Chinese Taipei, 2-1
United States def. Canada, 5-1

Thursday, Aug. 30
Japan def. Venezuela, 10-0
Chinese Taipei def. Canada, 6-4
United States def. Dominican Republic, 8-1

Tuesday, Aug. 28
Cuba def. South Korea, 7-4
Australia def. Netherlands, 18-0
Puerto Rico def. Hong Kong, 12-6

Wednesday, Aug. 29
Cuba vs. Netherlands, 10-1
South Korea vs. Hong Kong, 15-5
Australia def. Puerto Rico, 10-3

Thursday, Aug. 30
Hong Kong def. Netherlands, 4-1
Cuba def. Puerto Rico, 6-5
Australia def. South Korea, 3-0

Wednesday, Aug. 22
Japan def. Dominican Republic, 8-0
Chinese Taipei def. Venezuela, 9-1
Canada def. Hong Kong, 4-0
South Korea def. Netherlands, 9-8
United States def. Puerto Rico, 14-0
Australia def. Cuba, 12-4

Thursday, Aug. 23
Japan def. Hong Kong, 23-0
Venezuela def. South Korea, 10-4
Dominican Republic def. Australia, 9-6
Canada def. Cuba, 10-7
United States def. Netherlands, 18-0
Puerto Rico def. Chinese Taipei, 9-6

Friday, Aug. 24
Cuba def. Dominican Republic, 12-0
Australia def. Hong Kong, 24-2
United States def. South Korea, 11-1
Japan def. Canada, 2-1

Saturday, Aug. 25
Chinese Taipei def. South Korea, 13-0
Puerto Rico def. Netherlands, 16-1
United States def. Venezuela, 3-1
Dominican Republic def. Hong Kong, 19-1
Japan vs. Cuba, 4-1
Canada def. Australia , 9-6

Sunday, Aug. 26
Venezuela def. Netherlands, 17-1
Puerto Rico def. South Korea, 10-4
Canada def. Dominican Republic, 18-1
Hong Kong def. Cuba, 8-5
Chinese Taipei def. United States, 4-3
Japan def. Australia, 5-1

Monday, Aug. 27
Chinese Taipei def. Netherlands, 11-1
Venezuela def. Puerto Rico, 9-6