Faraimo’s Shutout Leads Team USA to Gold at the World Games
Team USA Takes Gold!
After coming right off a 10 inning win over Japan, how would Team USA motor through another? This one was for gold, and the U.S. Women’s National Team was ready.
Chinese Taipei had stunned Canada earlier in the day and looked to keep their spark alive against the Eagles. After a leadoff double in the bottom of the first, Megan Faraimo shut it down with two strikeouts to end the inning.
Faraimo had dominated earlier this week against the Netherlands and looked every bit as sharp again.
In the top of the second, Amanda Lorenz worked a two-out walk before Bubba Nickles pushed her all the way to third with a single over second. That set the stage for Sahvanna Jaquish, who blasted a three-run home run to put the U.S. up 3-0.
After a single from Janae Jefferson, Chinese Taipei turned to Yi-Shan Chu in relief of Ching-Yu Chen. Jefferson would later be cut down stealing, as catcher Szu-Shih Li fired a rocket to second.
Faraimo kept the momentum rolling, working a quick second inning and then recording her fifth strikeout in the third. Through three frames she had allowed just one hit and one walk.
The U.S. offense stayed aggressive but left runners stranded. Jessi Warren and Lorenz singled in the fourth, but neither scored. Faraimo answered by striking out two more in the bottom half. Through four innings she had given up just two hits and one walk while racking up seven strikeouts.
The production had somewhat cooled after Jaquish’s second-inning blast, as Team USA left the bases loaded in the fifth. Ahead to the seventh inning, the Eagles brought the knockout blow. After Tiare Jennings recorded a two-out single, Skylar Wallace crushed a two-run homer to extend the lead to 5-0.
That score held as the final. Faraimo went the distance with a complete game shutout, striking out 10 while throwing just 96 pitches. The performance capped a dominant week for the U.S. pitching staff and delivered the ultimate prize.
Team USA captured Gold in the 2025 World Games.
Team USA also placed four players on the All-World Team: Janae Jefferson, Megan Faraimo, Jayda Coleman, and Tiare Jennings, who went on to earn World Games MVP honors.
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