World No. 10 Australia captured the six-game International Women’s Softball Series over No. 6 Chinese Taipei, winning four games to two at the Redlands Softball Association, just outside of Brisbane.
Australia opened the series with two thrilling comeback wins (2-1, 6-5) on Saturday, highlighted by a walk-off hit from debutant Nicole Connacher and clutch pitching from veterans Kaia Parnaby and Ellen Roberts.
Chinese Taipei answered on Sunday with back-to-back wins (9-2, 6-4), capitalising on offensive momentum. But the Spirit rallied in Games Five and Six, sharpening their hitting approach and delivering disciplined pitching to secure the final two contests (6-1, 10-7) on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively — and the series.
Results and box scores of the games here.
“We’ve been deprived of international softball in Australia for a number of years at this level consistently [due to COVID], so we’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to compete against these highly ranked teams in our preparation towards the World Cup in April 2027,” said Australia head coach Kerrie Porter. “The summer of softball is important to us as we demonstrate that softball, already proven on the Olympic stage, is a global, dynamic sport that deserves a regular place in the Games,” added Porter.
Third baseman Shaylan Whatman was named MVP of the series after posting a .500 average with 10 RBIs and a home run across six games.
“I believed in myself, I believed in my team and I knew we would be able to do it no matter what,” Whatman said. “We didn’t want to tie it up — we wanted to go out and be aggressive today.”
She also praised the Redlands community. “Having people show up to support every day, midweek, no matter what time, was awesome. You feel so much love and support from everybody here. They really care about us as people, not just athletes, so it’s really special having their support.”
Australia and Chinese Taipei used the series to prepare for the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage, slated for 2026 in Czechia, Peru, and USA. The Finals 2027 will be played in Redcliffe, Australia. For the Asian squad, this series also served as preparation for the Asian Games Nagoya 2026, which will be held from 19 September to 4 October in Japan.
Australia now turn their focus to hosting world No. 2 USA from 31 December to 2 January in the USA Down Under Series — the first time the Americans will compete in Australia since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. More details are available on the Match Centre.
Catch up on the latest softball news on the WBSC Oceania website.