Team USA Cruises Past Korea in World Cup Group Stage Opener

ROCKFORD, Ill. — The United States clobbered five home runs and cruised past Korea, 22-2, Wednesday evening in its opener at the 2026 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage Rockford at Rivets Stadium. With the win, Team USA joined Australia and Canada in the win column on the opening day of action.

A quiet first inning gave way to four innings of action, as the U.S. scored in each of the final four innings. Olivia Pichardo opened the scoring in the second with a solo home run, her first of two homers on the night. The offense continued to roll with a five-run third highlighted by Pichardo’s second blast of the contest. The onslaught continued into the fourth behind home runs from Kelsie Whitmore and Remi Schaber before Jamie Baum capped the scoring with a grand slam in the fifth.

The offense was complemented by quality outings from Jillian Albayati and Sarah Lessig. Albayati got the nod in the opener and turned in 3.0 innings, allowing only one earned run while tallying five strikeouts. Lessig made her Team USA debut in relief in the fourth and fanned four in 2.0 hitless innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a quiet start offensively, Albayati retired the top of Korea’s lineup and struck out the side in the bottom of the first.

• With one out in the top of the second, Pichardo golfed a full-count offering high and deep over the right field wall for a solo home run.

• Korea responded in the home half of the inning, opening with back-to-back base knocks to land a pair in scoring position. A sacrifice fly followed by a defensive miscue gave Korea a 2-1 advantage.

• Team USA’s bats came alive in the top of the third. A leadoff double by Ashanthy Marcano and a walk issued to Whitmore put two on base early. Baum drove in the tying run for the U.S. with a sacrifice fly, while an error in the field plated the go-ahead run to make it 3-2.

• With two on and two out, Pichardo hammered another 3-2 pitch over the right-field wall for her second homer of the game, pushing to lead to 6-2.

• In the bottom of the third, Albayati escaped a bases-loaded jam with help from a 5-2-3 double play to escape the inning unscathed.

• The United States kept its foot on the gas in the top of the fourth. Whitmore ignited the five-run frame with a leadoff solo shot for her first hit of the contest. After Baum lined one up the middle to get on base, Schaber drilled the first pitch she saw for a two-run jack.

• A four-pitch walk put Pichardo on base, and Denae Benites drove her home with an RBI base knock to make it 10-2. A trio of free passes plated another run and set the table for Baum, who delivered a two-run base hit to extend the lead.

• Ryan recorded her second hit of the night later in the frame with a two-out, bases-clearing double to give Team USA a 16-2 advantage.

• Lessig made her Team USA debut in the bottom of the fourth and delivered a clean frame with two punchouts.

• A hit-by-pitch and three consecutive walks kept Korea on the ropes in the fifth. After an error in the outfield plated a run and kept the bases juiced, Baum delivered the biggest swing of the night with a grand slam to make it 22-2.

NOTABLES

• The Women’s National Team improves to 4-0 all-time against Korea and has outscored it 68-3.
• Nine players picked up hits, including multi-hit performances from Baum, Pichardo, and Ryan.
• Baum went 3-for-3 with seven RBIs, tying the Women’s National Team single-game record for RBIs set by Kylee Lahners’ (2019) and Alex Hugo (2023).
• Pichardo joins Tamara Holmes (2010) as the only Women’s National Team players to hit two home runs in a game.
• The United States set a Women’s National Team single-game record with five home runs. Team USA homered twice in a single game on four previous occasions.
• Tonight’s 20-run margin of victory is the largest since Team USA defeated Hong Kong 29-0 in 2023.
• With the win, the Women’s National Team has not lost an opener in international competition since 2010, when the U.S. lost to Japan in game one of the IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup.

ON DECK

Team USA will face Mexico (0-1) tomorrow, July 23 at 7:00 p.m. local/8:00 p.m. ET at Rivets Stadium in Rockford, Illinois. For more information on the schedule and how to follow along, visit HERE.