Italy Secures First Finalist Spot in the Women's Softball European Championship 2024

Cover photo by DFotografie

Germany started the fifth day of the Women's Softball European Championship 2024 with a 6-3 victory over Israel, while France claimed a dominant 7-0 win against Belgium. Ukraine secured a 4-2 victory over Austria.

In the first game of the Super Round, Italy secured a decisive 3-0 win over Spain. Both teams held each other scoreless through the first five innings. Italy finally broke the deadlock in the sixth inning, scoring three runs. Spain was unable to respond, resulting in a 3-0 victory for Italy. Cacciamani, as the winning pitcher, allowed just 3 hits over 7 dominant innings.

France continued their winning form later in the day with a 6-0 shutout against Israel. Denmark finished with an 8-1 victory over Bulgaria.

In their first game of the Super Round, the Netherlands secured a commanding 13-2 victory. The Dutch strong start, with 8 runs in the first inning, set the tone for the game.

In the evening session, Belgium edged out Austria with a narrow 4-3 win. Malta topped Finland 5-1, and Switzerland dominated Sweden with a 10-0 victory. Croatia finished strong with a 9-1 win over Bulgaria, and Slovakia rounded out the day with a 10-6 win over Poland.

Back to field 1 for the Super Round, Great Britain overcame Czechia with a 4-1 victory. Great Britain took the lead in the fifth inning when Chan walked and scored on a single by Burge. Czechia quickly responded with one run in the sixth inning. Molentová singled and ran home on a double by Furková. With the game tied, Warsop hit a clutch RBI triple, bringing the final score to 4-1. Pitchers Corrick, Pecková, and Linková delivered an outstanding performance.

In the night game, Italy continued their winning streak with a 5-1 win against the Netherlands. The Azzurre took an early lead as Dayton hit a leadoff single and scored on a double by Piancastelli within the first few pitches. The game remained tight until the sixth inning when Italy broke it open with four more runs to solidify their lead.

Van Dalen hit a solo shot to allow the Dutch to score one run in the sixth inning, but it wasn't enough to shift the momentum. Italy held on for a 5-1 victory. Italian leadoff Dayton finished the night with an impressive 4-for-4, including a home run.

Italy, still undefeated, has secured its spot as the first confirmed finalist of the Women's Softball European Championship 2024. Tomorrow, Great Britain will face the Netherlands to determine which of the two teams will meet Italy in the final.

Games of the Women's Softball European Championship 2024 can be watched live on softballeurope.tv. The tournament pass is available at €29.99, while a single game is €7.99. Live play-by-play is available through the WBSC Europe website.