OKLAHOMA CITY — Team USA closed out the 2026 USA Softball International Cup, presented by Mercy, in dominant fashion as the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) claimed the gold medal and the U.S. Women’s Elite Team secured a third-place finish. The world-ranked No. 2 WNT defeated No. 1 Japan, 2-0, in Sunday night’s championship game to capture the title, while the U.S. Elite Team opened the day with a five-inning, 7-0 run-rule victory over Canada to earn third place.
The International Cup served as an Olympic preview this week as all 36 players of the WNT Athlete Pool competed across two teams against some of the best softball programs in the world. Between the two squads, Team USA finished with an overall record of 8-2 with the Elite Team going 3-2 while the WNT posted an undefeated 5-0 slate.
WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM: WNT 2, JAPAN 0
In a game worthy of the championship stage, the U.S. Women’s National Team (WNT) leaned on dominant pitching, timely hitting and unwavering defense to shutout Japan, 2-0, and close out the International Cup with a gold medal and championship trophy.
The WNT broke through in the second inning when Jayda Coleman drove in the game’s first run before Janae Jefferson followed with an RBI-double to extend the lead to 2-0. It proved to be all the offense the U.S. would need, as the pitching staff and defense took over from there.
Montana Fouts was brilliant in the circle. The right-hander delivered a one-hit shutout, striking out eight and walking none over seven dominant innings. Japan never found an answer for Fouts’ mix of power and precision, as she retired 21 of the 22 batters she faced.
The WNT offense collected six hits while capitalizing on the chances it created. Alyssa Brito led the way with a 2-for-3 performance, while Skylar Wallace, Jayda Coleman, Maya Brady and Jefferson each added a hit. Defensively, Team USA was flawless, turning in an error-free performance behind Fouts to preserve the shutout.
WOMEN’S ELITE TEAM: ELITE 7, CANADA 0 (5)
The U.S. Women’s Elite Team used a balanced offensive attack and dominant pitching to earn a 6-0, five-inning shutout over Canada on Sunday for the third-place trophy in the International Cup.
The U.S. struck first in the opening inning with an RBI-base hit from Aleena Garcia before adding two more runs in the second thanks to a double from Taylor Shumaker and an RBI-single from Zerkle to build an early 3-0 advantage. After a scoreless third, the offense continued to apply pressure, adding two runs in the fourth with a blast from Shumaker followed by a solo shot in the fifth from Gold to extend the lead, 6-0. With the run-rule in sight, Kendall Wells sealed the deal with a walk-off double to bring the final run in.
Taylor Shumaker paced the offense with a perfect 2-for-2 performance, launching a home run and adding a double while driving in three runs and scoring twice. Ana Gold and Sahvanna Jaquish each collected a hit and scored a run, while Morgan Zerkle also recorded a hit and drove in a run. The Elite Team finished the game with six hits and six RBIs.
In the circle, Ally Carda tossed 4.1 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit, striking out five to earn the win. Teagan Kavan recorded the final two outs to complete the combined one-hit shutout.
WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM
The U.S. WNT put on a strong performance throughout the 2026 International Cup, posting a .377 team batting average with a combined 43 hits while outscoring opponents 40-10. Jefferson led the U.S. at the plate with a .545 batting average, followed by Brady (.538) and Skylar Wallace (.455). Seven Eagles blasted home runs over five games, with Brady and Jefferson each launching two. The U.S. pitching staff — Fouts, Rachel Garcia, Lexi Kilfoyl, Kelly Maxwell and Karlyn Pickens — remained dominant throughout the tournament with two shutouts and a combined 37 strikeouts.
At the conclusion of the tournament, four Eagles were awarded individual honors: Maya Brady (Tournament MVP), Dejah Mulipola (Defensive MVP), Janae Jefferson (Offensive MVP) and Montana Fouts (Most Valuable Pitcher).
WOMEN’S ELITE TEAM
The U.S. Elite Team turned in a strong showing at the 2026 International Cup, posting a .294 team batting average while collecting 37 hits and outscoring opponents, 27-22. Zerkle led the offense with a .500 batting average, followed by Bubba Nickles-Camarena (.444) and Jaquish (.375). Four Eagles combined for seven home runs over five games, led by Gold with three, while Zerkle added two and Jaquish and Shumaker each launched one. In the circle, the pitching staff of NiJaree Canady, Carda, Megan Faraimo, Kavan and Keilani Ricketts delivered consistent performances, helping the Eagles to two run-rule victories while combining for 21 strikeouts throughout the tournament.
To learn more about the Women’s National Team Program, visit USASoftball.com.