WA Women Advance to Qualifying Final as Youth Finish Pool Play Undefeated
Western Australia continued their strong showing at the 2026 Australian Women’s Championship (AWC) and Australian Youth Women’s Championship (AYWC), with both teams advancing deeper into finals contention.
The Women’s team secured a dominant win to book their place in the Qualifying Final, while the Youth Women completed an unbeaten pool stage.
Women: WA Def. New South Wales 17–5
Western Australia powered into the Qualifying Final with a commanding 17–5 win over New South Wales.
Caitlin Eynon delivered one of the standout performances of the tournament, going 2-for-2 with two home runs, including a grand slam, finishing with six RBI, four runs scored and two walks.
WA set the tone early, jumping out to a 3–0 lead through contributions from Chloe Atkinson and Meaghan Haggart, before New South Wales responded to level the game.
From there, WA took control. A three-run third inning restored the lead, before Eynon’s two-run homer extended the margin. The game was put beyond reach with a nine-run sixth inning, highlighted by Eynon’s grand slam.
On the mound, Bella Clarke delivered a composed complete game, settling after a challenging first inning to guide WA home.
“Honestly, I was really nervous. New South Wales is a really strong team. I knew if I threw strikes, my team would back me,” she said.
“I got rattled in the first inning. Ticara hit an awesome homer. But I just had to reset, and I got some wise words from the coach. I got back out there and did my job.”
Clarke also praised Eynon’s performance at the plate.
“She’s my idol. I’ve always looked up to her, being able to play with her is incredible to me,” she said. “I have no words. I got so emotional after the game with the adrenaline and how nervous I was. I’m so glad I could get out there and have a great start.”
The result guarantees WA at least a bronze medal and gives them two opportunities to reach the Gold Medal Game.
Western Australia will now face Victoria in the Qualifying Final, with the winner advancing directly to the Gold Medal Game and the loser earning another chance via the Preliminary Final.
Youth Women: WA Def. South Australia 10–0
Western Australia’s Youth Women’s team completed pool play undefeated, defeating South Australia 10–0 to finish 4–0.
WA’s dominance across the tournament has been clear, outscoring opponents 53–18 across four games.
Lily Duckworth continued her strong tournament with a two-run home run, while Jemma Golding also went deep as WA built an early lead and never looked back.
Emerson Padfield added to the offence, while a combined pitching effort from Sara Scott, Aleigha Auld and Stephanie Dowsett limited South Australia to just three hits.
What’s Next
Both teams now enter the finals phase of their respective tournaments:
Women – Qualifying Final
Western Australia vs Victoria (7:00AM)
Winner → Gold Medal Game
Loser → Preliminary Final
Youth Women – Finals Round Robin
Top three teams reset to 0–0 and play each other
Top two → Gold Medal Game
Third place → Bronze
Western Australia will face both South Australia (9:15AM) and New South Wales (1:45PM) as they push for a place in the Gold Medal Game.
Photography: Erin Honsa
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