Softball at the 1981 World Games

Both men's and women's softball tournaments were conducted during World Games I. The games were played July 30 - August 2, 1981 at Central Park in Santa Clara, California. Teams from the United States, Canada, the Bahamas and Chinese Taipei participated in the women's event, while in the men's event, the United States, Canada, the Bahamas and Mexico were initially slated to appear. As the time of the Games approached, the Mexican team withdrew for financial reasons and was replaced by a second team from the United States.

Women's softball at World Games I
Canada's men's softball team at the 1981 World Games
World Games I Women's Softball, Bahamas post-game celebration, August 1981. After the bronze-medal clinching women's softball game, Bahamian fans staged an impromptu celebration that wound its way around the perimeter of the field, with continual singing, dancing, music and Caribbean beats.

All three U.S. teams were intact successful high-level softball teams, well known in the U.S. softball community. The Raybestos Brakettes club from Connecticut was the women's team. United States I, the original selection for the Games, was the Peterbilt team from Seattle, Washington. After Mexico's decision, the Guanella Brothers team from Santa Rosa, California was engaged in the role of United States II.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Kathy Arendsen pitched four shutouts for the U.S. women, culminating in a perfect game in the championship final.[12]

Women edit

Medalists edit

Gold Silver Bronze
  United States
Kathy Arendsen
      Cloutier
Doreen Dedmon
Sue Enquist
Missy Mapes
      Reinalda
Diane Schumacher
Anne Trachuck
others
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  Canada
      Ford
A. Knowles
Patti Polych
      Storey-Gray
      Wegner
others
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  Bahamas
      Izzard
B. Knowles
      Moxey
Cynthia A. Pratt
      Turnquest
      Walker
      Welle
others
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Standing edit

Round-robin phase:

Team W L RS RA
  United States 6 0
  Canada 3 3
  Bahamas 2 4
  Chinese Taipei 1 5

Details edit

Each team played two games per day for three days, followed by a championship game between the top two teams in the standing.

Thursday, July 30, 1981:

Canada 4, Bahamas 3
United States 1, Chinese Taipei 0
United States 4, Bahamas ?
Chinese Taipei d. Canada

Friday, July 31, 1981:

Bahamas 5, Chinese Taipei 2
United States 3, Canada 0
Canada 2, Bahamas 1
United States 2, Chinese Taipei 0
July 31 12:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
  Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 4 1
  Bahamas 2 0 0 2 0 1 X 5 10 1
WP: Welle (1-0)   LP: Shiou-Ing (0-1)
July 31 14:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
  Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1
  USA 1 0 0 0 2 0 X 3 6 0
WP: Kathy Arendsen (2-0)   LP: Patti Polych (1-1)
July 31 18:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
  Canada 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 5 1
  Bahamas 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 4
WP: A Knowles (1-0)   LP:        Izzard (0-1)

[13]

July 31 20:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
  Chinese Taipei 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
  USA 0 1 0 0 0 1 X 2 5 0
WP:        Reinalda (2-0)   LP: Chien Chin-Ling (0-1)

Saturday, August 1, 1981:

Canada 2, Chinese Taipei 1
United States d. Bahamas
United States 8, Canada 0
Bahamas d. Chinese Taipei

Sunday, August 2, 1981:

Championship game -- United States 3, Canada 0 (perfect game by Arendsen)
August 2 14:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
  USA 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 6 0
  Canada 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
WP: Kathy Arendsen (4-0), perfect game   LP: Patti Polych (2-2)

Other known individual participants: TPE – Feng-Yuan, Lih-Ju, Sub-Shain

Men edit

Medalists edit

Gold Silver Bronze
  United States II
Ray Allena
Rich Balswick
Peter Brown
Wes Crandell
Chuck D'Arcy
Bobby Dallas
Jim Marsh
Zeke McDowell
Mike Nevin
Mike Parnow
Dallas Rountree
John Topolewski
others
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  United States I
      Batt
Mike Bishop
Dick Brubaker
Mark Lee
Dennis Mackinin
      Moore
Bill Stewart
Tim Sullivan
Greg Vangaver
others
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  Canada
      Boland
Serse Bourque
      Boyroye
      Cooke
      Gosselin
      Guenter
      Healy
      Henderson
      Hunt
      Kernagham
      Putnam
others
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Standing edit

Round-robin phase:

Team W L RS RA
  United States I 5 1 23 9
  United States II 4 2
  Canada 3 3
  Bahamas 0 6

Details edit

Each team played two games per day for three days, followed by a championship game between the top two teams in the standing.

Thursday, July 30, 1981:

United States II 3, Bahamas 0
United States I 2, Canada 1
United States I 8, Bahamas 0
United States II vs. Canada

Friday, July 31, 1981:

Canada 4, Bahamas 3 (9 inn.)
United States I 3, United States II 1
United States II 3, Bahamas 1
United States I 4, Canada 3 (10 inn.)
July 31 12:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
  Bahamas 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 1
  Canada 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 4 9 1
WP:        Guenter (2-0)   LP:        Johnson (0-2)
July 31 14:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
  USA I 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 3 8 1
  USA II 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0
WP: Mark Lee (2-0)   LP: Peter Brown (0-1)
July 31 18:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
  USA II 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 3 5 2
  Bahamas 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 1
WP:        D'Arcy (2-0)   LP:        Sweeting (0-1)
Home runs:
USA II: Ray Allena
BAH: None
July 31 20:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
  Canada 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 7 3
  USA I 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 4 8 2
WP: Dick Brubaker   LP:        Boland

Saturday, August 1, 1981:

United States I 5, Bahamas 1
United States II vs. Canada
United States II 3, United States I 1
Canada d. Bahamas

Note: Canada and United States II split the two games between them.

Sunday, August 2, 1981:

Championship game -- United States II 3, United States I 0
August 2 16:00
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
  USA I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
  USA II 0 0 1 0 0 2 X 3 6 1
WP: Peter Brown (2-1)   LP:        Moore (1-1)

Other known individual participants: BAH – Bethel, Butler, Clarke, Ford, Russell, D Smith

References edit

  1. ^ "World Games Results International, at Santa Clara, Calif. Aug., 2". United Press International. Aug 2, 1981.
  2. ^ "Santa Clara, USA 1981 Calendar & Results". International World Games Association. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  3. ^ "Results of the World Games". International World Games Association. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  4. ^ "World Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 1, 1981. p. 4E.
  5. ^ "World Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 3, 1981. p. 6D.
  6. ^ Payne, Dave (July 23, 1981). "Fastpitch softball may undergo revival during Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. p. 6E.
  7. ^ "U.S. hits wood instead of gold in Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 1, 1981. p. 1E.
  8. ^ "American team remains unbeaten in softball". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 1, 1981. p. 5E.
  9. ^ "A big wheel of World Games adds third win". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 2, 1981. p. 5E.
  10. ^ Finch, Peter (August 3, 1981). "A 'perfect' finish for World Games I". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. p. 1D.
  11. ^ Finch, Peter (August 3, 1981). "Perfect game by Arendsen closes Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. p. 3D.
  12. ^ SARGIS, JOE (Aug 2, 1981). "Arendsen pitches perfect game". United Press International.
  13. ^ Newspaper source had the winning and losing pitchers switched, incorrectly.