Pic credit: Mel Maclaine
There was a raucous atmosphere at Balbriggan Softball Field next to Bremore Castle on Tuesday night, as Ireland did battle with Chinese Taipei in the Women's World Cup Group A.
Despite the encouragement from a strong local crowd, the evening ended in disappointment for the Girls in Green, as their opponents prevailed by a score of 11-1.
This was a second defeat of Day 2 for an Ireland side that started strongly by overcoming Botswana on Day 1.
"It's disappointing but we still have a lot of games to play," said Ireland third base Nicole Franklin afterwards. "We have to get back up, get our heads back in it and get the energy up. We're going to go back, get some dinner and rest, and get ready for tomorrow.
"The atmosphere was awesome," added Nicole. "All of the Ireland fans were great. Everyone is awesome and super welcoming. It's really cool to have people who haven't seen it before, to come out and see the sport."
The chance to bounce back arrives immediately, as Ireland prepare for a huge clash with Great Britain on Thursday evening, with the game scheduled to begin at 6.30pm in Balbriggan.
It was Great Britain who claimed the win in the opening game of Day 2, getting past Chinese Taipei by a 2-0 scoreline. The influential Georgina Corrick managed to keep Chinese Taipei scoreless despite eight runners left on base.
With a record of two wins out of two in Balbriggan, Great Britain have taken a major step towards Saturday's playoffs.
Next up, Australia made amends for Tuesday's defeat to GB by defeating the host nation 4-0.
Then, the United States machine kept on rolling, as the world's number 1 team dismantled Botswana by a score of 14-0, despite a five-minute rain delay interrupting proceedings.
The highlight on Day 3, tonight, is sure to be Ireland facing off against Great Britain, and here are the ticket details for all of today's games.
Schedule for Day Three:
10am: Australia v Botswana
12.30pm: Botswana v Chinese Taipei
3pm: Australia v United States
6.30pm: Ireland v Great Britain
