The Aussies finished the Qualifier with an undefeated record, capping off the week’s performance with a hearty 9-3 victory over China. The Aussies rode their potent offensive attack to the win, while pitching ace Kaia Parnaby turned in a gutsy performance in the circle to punch her team’s ticket to the Olympic Games.
In qualifying for Tokyo, the Australians will become the fourth national team to appear in every Olympic Games where softball has been a participating sport. The Aussies have reached the medal stand in all four previous Olympic softball appearances, including earning the silver medal in 2004 and the bronze in 1996, 2000, and 2008.
For the Aussies, the final game of the week-long qualifying tournament proved to be a statement win over a Chinese team that came into the week expected to be perhaps the Australians’ toughest competition for the coveted Olympic berth. The Aussies put nine runs on the board on nine hits against the Chinese pitching staff, including a pair of multi-run innings that saw the team send nine hitters to the plate in each.
Center fielder Leigh Godfrey recorded a pair of hits, including a 2-run triple, scored twice, and added a spectacular diving catch in the fourth inning that arguably saved at least a run.
Parnaby, the veteran ace of the Aussie pitching staff, didn’t have her best stuff at times during the game, but limited the Chinese to three runs and six hits with four strikeouts to her credit. A swinging strikeout served as the final out of the game.
The 6-team field is now set for the 2020 Games in Tokyo. The countries that will vie for the gold medal include Australia; Canada; Italy; Japan; Mexico; and the United States.
