HONG KONG—A medal at the 2010 Phoenix Cup Women’s Baseball tournament proved elusive for the North American Liberty Belles and their teammates, the high school baseball team Shenzhen Long Zhu from China. The combined team’s 0-5-1 record tied for last place with the NineVics, one of two teams from Korea. The teams tied when they played each other on the last day of competition.

However, the Aussie Hearts continued their dominance, capturing Phoenix Cup gold by scoring a total of 91 runs and finishing with a record of 6-0. The Australian team also swept the personal awards: Christina Kreppold, outfielder, pitcher, and catcher, tallying the most hits and homeruns in the tournament; Jacinda Barclay receiving best pitcher honors, and Narelle Gosstray garnering the best coach award. Shortstop/second base player Shae Lillywhite received the team’s Most Valuable Player award.

Japan’s entry, the Far East Bloomers, took silver with a 5-1 record. This team received its third medal in the Phoenix Cup; the other two were gold. Infielder Tamaki Sakamoto received her team’s MVP award. Hong Kong’s host team, the Allies, 4-2, came in third and awarded their pitcher and infielder, Tsz Chin Lau, with the team MVP. Other team MVP awards included: outfielder Shu-Han Lin of the fourth place Taipei Vanguards; team leader and pitcher Hyo Ram Kang of the Korea TOP, which placed fifth; Korea NineVics outfielder, Yea Lim Son, and North American Liberty Belles/Chinese Shenzhen Long Zhu team member Bo Kay Fong, a pitcher.

All games were played on the city’s Sai Tso Wan Recreation Field and Lion Rock Park Baseball Field.

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OTHER WOMEN’S BASEBALL NEWS: The next international women’s baseball tournament is up for grabs. The fourth biennial World’s Cup of Women’s Baseball, which has been scheduled to take place this August as of now does not have a venue. USA Baseball briefly considered having the increasingly prestigious tournament (except, apparently, in the US) in Cary, North Carolina, where it has plans to conduct Team USA of Women’s Baseball tryouts in July (dates and times still to be determined). However, according to Jim Glennie of the American Women’s Baseball Federation, now Venezuela is under consideration as the 2010 Women’s World Cup of Baseball host country: http://www.awbf.org/2010_Tournaments.htm .

The International Baseball Federation has already announced Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, as the site for the 2012 Women’s World Cup: