Team USA is one game away from qualifying for the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027.
The red, white and blue own a 5-0 record in the group stage event in Oklahoma City this week after cruising through the opening round. They defeated Mexico, the Netherlands, Brazil, New Zealand, and most recently took down China on Tuesday night to advance directly to the finals.
China and the USA will now rematch on Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET, and the winner will secure the first direct ticket to the Finals 2027 in Australia.
The team’s win over China in the opening round was decisive with a 7-0, six-inning victory to take first place in the standings. They scored early as Skylar Wallace drove in two runs with a double in the first inning. Wallace went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and was named Player of the Day. A solo homer by Dejah Mulipola the following inning gave them a three-run lead.
Then Megan Grant and Aubrey Leach helped extend the gap with back-to-back home runs in the fourth. Rachel Garcia also left the yard in the matchup.
In the circle, Lexi Kilfoyl and Kelly Maxwell combined for a two-hit shutout. Kilfoyl picked up the win, logging five strikeouts and no walks in her four innings of work. Maxwell entered for the final two frames and struck out three batters.
The loser of China-USA will then take on the winner of Netherlands-Mexico for the second qualifying spot later Wednesday night. The game will be broadcast behind a paywall through the WBSC.
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on Instagram @savvyco.
