University of Tennessee Athletics
Chavanne, Gibson, USA Win World Cup of SB X
July 06, 2015 | Softball
IRVINE, Calif. -- Tennessee softball alums Raven Chavanne and Lauren Gibson took home gold medals for the second-straight year as they helped the USA Softball Women's National Team win the World Cup of Softball X championship with a 6-1 victory over Japan on Sunday.
The Americans jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Japan scored its lone run in the fourth, but the U.S. poured on three more runs in the sixth to secure the win.
The United States has won the World Cup of Softball in eight of its 10 years of existence (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015). Japan won the inaugural World Cup in 2005 and again in 2013. There was no World Cup of Softball in 2008 due to the Olympics.
Chavanne, participating in her third-straight World Cup, started at third base. She was 1-for-2 with a leadoff single in the first inning. Chavanne was Team USA's best hitter in the 2015 World Cup, hitting a team-high .625 (10-for-16) with one RBI, three runs and one double. She recorded a hit in each of the six games she played in and her 10 hits led the team.
Gibson, who has been a staple on the Women's National Team since 2011, went 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run. Her RBI single to left field in the first inning plated Amanda Chidester and extended the Red, White and Blue lead to 3-0. Gibson, who started at second base on Sunday, hit .364 (4-for-11) for the tournament with three RBI and five runs.
Tennessee rising sophomore Meghan Gregg and the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team took fifth place, going 3-4 in its seven games. Gregg played in six games and totaled two hits, three RBIs and two runs.
UT alum Cheyanne Tarango played for the Mexican National Team, which took sixth place after going 3-4 and losing to the USA Juniors on Sunday, 6-5. Tarango emerged as Mexico's ace pitcher, going 2-2 over five appearances (four starts) with a 4.76 ERA. Her 11 strikeouts and 25.0 innings pitched led the team.
The USA Softball Women's National Team next plays in the 2015 Pan American Games from July 19-26 in Toronto, Canada, before heading to Ogaki, Japan, for the Japan Cup from Aug. 7-9.
The USA Softball Junior Women's National Team will compete in the WBSC Junior Women's World Championship from Aug. 9-15 in Oklahoma City.
