(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
USA Clinches Gold at The World Games 2025 Women’s Softball Tournament
CHENGDU: Team USA triumphed over Chinese Taipei, winning 5-0 to secure their fourth consecutive gold medal in women’s softball at The World Games 2025. A brilliant performance by pitcher Megan Faraimo, who threw a shutout, and powerful home runs from Sahvanna Jaquish and Skylar Wallace led the Americans to victory.
This win marks USA’s fourth consecutive gold in women’s softball at The World Games, following victories in 1981, 1985, and 2022. The dominant win solidified USA’s status as the premier team in the sport.
Coach Patty Gasso expressed her pride, saying, “It’s unbelievable. The players believed in our system and executed perfectly. They worked together in a short time and delivered an outstanding performance.”
Megan Faraimo, who played a key role in the shutout, said, “The final was fun. It’s tough having two games in one day, but I’m proud of the team for their perseverance and determination.”
For Chinese Taipei, the silver medal marks a significant achievement, being their second at a major international competition, following their runner-up finish at the 1982 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup. Captain Liu Hsuan reflected on the accomplishment: “This medal is very special. It shows our efforts have paid off, and we are motivated to keep pushing forward.”
USA’s infielder Hannah Flippen noted the growing competition in global softball. “Every team is improving each year. There are no weak teams anymore, and that makes the sport even more exciting and competitive,” she said.
Looking ahead, Liu Hsuan highlighted Chinese Taipei’s focus on the Asian Games and Olympic qualification. “This silver medal gives us more confidence to compete internationally, and we are determined to continue improving.”
In the bronze medal game, Japan defeated Canada, 11-1, with Canada finishing in fourth place.
Semifinal Thrillers
In an intense semifinal match, Chinese Taipei edged Canada 6-4, while USA triumphed over Japan in a dramatic 10-inning game, 7-6. Flippen described the thrilling encounter with Japan: “That was one of the greatest softball games I’ve been part of. It showed why this sport is so special, with both teams fighting hard.”
Faraimo, who watched the semifinal from the dugout, added, “It was a testament to the grit and determination of both teams, and a perfect example of what makes softball a globally competitive sport.”
Gold Medal Game Highlights
In the Gold Medal Game, Megan Faraimo threw a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and striking out 10. The five runs for the USA came via powerful home runs. In the second inning, Sahvanna Jaquish smashed a three-run homer to give USA the lead. The score remained 3-0 until the seventh inning when Skylar Wallace hit a two-run homer to seal the 5-0 victory for Team USA.
With this victory, USA once again proved their dominance in women’s softball, maintaining an unbeaten record in The World Games since 1981.
