The Emeralds ended round 1 of the Womens World Cup with a convincing win against Hong Kong, advancing them to the semi-final round.
The girls came out swinging and by the end of the 1st inning they were up 17-0, they went on to score another 12 runs over 4 complete innings to defeat Hong Kong 29-1.
With 18 hits, Tahnee Lovering led the way with 4 hits and 6 RBI's, followed by Shae Lillywhite and Natalie Rawlings with 3 hits each. Laura Neads and Amy McCann each had two hits, and Kim McMillan, Katie Gaynor, Christina Kreppold and Rachael Higgins each had a hit.
Taylah Welch got the win throwing 4 innings, striking out 6 and conceding no earned runs, while Maddi Lenard and Amy Collins were both good in relief
The Emeralds finished second in their pool after winning 2 of their 3 games, advancing them to the semi-final round and ensuring a top four finish at the World Cup.
The top two teams from group A (Japan, Emeralds) will face off against the top two teams from group B (USA, Canada), with round one head-to-heads carrying over into the second round. If Japan and USA win their games today they will secure a spot in the gold medal game, while the Emeralds and Canada must avoid losing a game.
Manager Simone Wearne believes the girls are prepared for their game with the USA today, "after 2 days of rain delays and missing the day off, the girls did a great job to get out and play the way they did against Hong Kong. We know the next round will be tough, but we're excited for the challenge that awaits with Team USA"
The Emeralds will play Team USA today at 1:30 pm (2:30pm AEST) at Sun Marine Stadium in a must win game for a chance at the Gold Medal.
Round 2 Schedule and Live Scoring
To follow the Emerald’s progress visit emeralds.baseball.com.au or follow the team on the official Facebook or Twitter page.
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