Puerto Rico advances to Women’s Softball World Cup Finals

The Puerto Rican national women’s softball team qualified this past weekend for next year’s WBSC World Cup Finals after defeating Venezuela 8-1 in the consolation game of a tournament in Lima, Peru.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rican national women’s softball team qualified this past weekend for next year’s WBSC World Cup Finals after defeating Venezuela 8-1 in the consolation game in Lima, Peru.

“... This was the victory we had longed for since leaving Puerto Rico,” national team manager Jorge David Santos said in a written statement following Saturday’s victory. “We won the crucial game; the players made the necessary adjustments on defense and at the plate. The offense came through and helped us secure the win. …”

Aleshia Ocasio was dominant in the circle against Venezuela, pitching five innings in which she allowed only three hits and one run while striking out eight batters.

Puerto Rico effectively sealed the game in the first inning with a single by Macey Cintrón that drove in two runs, bringing Ocasio and Kairi Rodríguez home.

Rodríguez went 2-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored, and two RBIs; Kathyria García went 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI; Eliana Enriquez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored; Ocasio went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored; and Cintrón went 1-for-2 with two RBIs.

In the day’s first game in Lima, Japan defeated Puerto Rico 2-1 to secure a spot in the 2027 Finals in Australia. Puerto Rico claimed the second qualifying spot by beating Venezuela.

Also having qualified for the finals are host Australia, Canada and Chinese Taipei. Only two spots remain to be decided this week in the United States, along with one wild-card slot to be determined by the WBSC.

The national team’s next engagement will be the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, where Puerto Rico will defend the gold medal it won three years ago.