Softball at the 1981 World Games

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.

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.

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. The majority of Canada's women’s team came from the Saskatoon Harmony Centres. For the men, 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] Nova Scotia's Brookfield Elks comprised most of Canada's men’s team.

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

Women

Medalists

Gold	Silver	Bronze^[13]
United States Kathy Arendsen Beth Conrad Sandy Cloutier Doreen Denmon Pat Dufficy Sue Enquist Sue Eskierski Patti Fernandes Missy Mapes Barbara Reinalda Allyson Rioux Diane Schumacher Kathy Strachan Gina Vecchione Ginny Walsh . . . .	Canada Nancy Brentnell Diane Bronsard Kim Cudmore Shawna Hicks Joan Hilderbrand LuAnne Izzard Ellie Kachur Jay Kost Diane Lynn Shawn McDonald Noreen Murphy Patti Polych Pattie Rowley Darlene Solie Dawn Storey-Gray Anne Tkachuck Pat Wegner . .	Bahamas Sherlyn Bain Earnestine Butler Stubbs Candice DeGregory Culmer^[14] Naomi Ellis Carolyn Ferguson Debbie Forbes Linda Ford Auria Wood Knowles Barbara Knowles Kay Moxey Cyprianna McKinney Cynthia "Mother" Pratt Jan Poitier Denise Reckley Nancy Russell Audrey Sears Cheryl Turnquest Daisy Walker Alice or Sandra Wells

Standing

Round-robin phase:

Team	W	L	RS	RA
United States	6	0	19	0
Canada	3	3	8	11
Bahamas	2	4	14	22
Chinese Taipei	1	5	7	15

Details

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 0
Chinese Taipei 2, Canada 0

July 30
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H
Chinese Taipei	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
USA	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	8
WP: Kathy Arendsen (1-0) LP: Shoiu-Ing (0-1)

July 30
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H
Bahamas	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
USA	0	3	0	0	1	0	X	4	4
WP: Barbara Reinalda (1-0) LP: Earnestine Butler (0-1) Home runs: BAH: None USA: Denmon

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: Wells (1-0) LP: Shoiu-Ing (0-2)

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: LuAnne Izzard (1-0) LP: Auria Wood Knowles (0-1)

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: Barbara Reinalda (2-0) LP: Chien Chin-Ling (0-1)

Saturday, August 1, 1981:

Canada 2, Chinese Taipei 1
United States 8, Bahamas 0
United States 1, Canada 0 (9 inn.)
Bahamas 5, Chinese Taipei 2

August 1
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H
USA	0	1	1	3	3	0	0	8	14
Bahamas	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
WP: Kathy Arendsen (3-0) LP: Cyprianna McKinney

August 1
Central Park, Santa Clara
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H
USA	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	6
Canada	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7
WP: Barbara Reinalda (3-0) LP: Shawn McDonald

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, Suh-Shain, Lee-Mai, Feng-Jiau, Yum-Gem, Shiou-Pin, Suh-Shiumg, Kum-Yimg, Mei-Hwa

Men

Medalists

Gold	Silver	Bronze
United States II Ray Allena Rich Balswick Peter Brown Les Crandall Chuck D'Arcy Bob Dallas K. G. Fincher Jim Marsh Zeke McDowell Mike Nevin Mike Parnow Terry Ray Dallas Rountree John Topolewski others . . . .	United States I Butch Batt Mike Bishop Jeff Borrough Dick Brubaker Mark Lee Dennis Mackinin Bob Miller George Nokes Larry Seabaugh Jim Moore Bill Stewart Tim Sullivan Greg Vangaver others . . . . .	Canada Ron Boland Serge Bourque Jerome Brocklehurst Bobby Campbell Robbie Cooke Pierre Gosselin John Green Ron Gustafson Robbie Guenter Steve Healy Mike Henderson Doug Holland Dave Hunt Marty Kernaghan Gene McWillie Steve Locke Dennis Peterson Robert Putnam Mike Worseley

Standing

Round-robin phase:

Team	W	L	RS	RA
United States I	5	1	23	9
United States II	4	2	13	10
Canada	3	3	14 (min)	12 (min)
Bahamas	0	6	5 (min)	24 (min)

Details

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
Canada 4, United States II 1 (9 inn.)

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: Robbie Guenter (2-0) LP: Rich 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: Chuck 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: Ron Boland

Saturday, August 1, 1981:

United States I 5, Bahamas 1
United States II 2, Canada 1
United States II 3, United States I 1
Canada d. Bahamas

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: Jim Moore (1-1)

Other known individual participants: BAH – Bethel, Keith Butler, Dencil Clarke, Ford, Sonny Haven, Adiou Moss, John Rolle, Colin Russell, Douglas Smith, Fred Smith, Ziarke

References

↑ "World Games Results International, at Santa Clara, Calif. Aug., 2". United Press International. Aug 2, 1981.
↑ "Santa Clara, USA 1981 Calendar & Results". International World Games Association. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
↑ "Results of the World Games". International World Games Association. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
↑ "World Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 1, 1981. p. 4E.
↑ "World Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 3, 1981. p. 6D.
↑ Payne, Dave (July 23, 1981). "Fastpitch softball may undergo revival during Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. p. 6E.
↑ "U.S. hits wood instead of gold in Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 1, 1981. p. 1E.
↑ "American team remains unbeaten in softball". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 1, 1981. p. 5E.
↑ "A big wheel of World Games adds third win". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. August 2, 1981. p. 5E.
↑ Finch, Peter (August 3, 1981). "A 'perfect' finish for World Games I". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. p. 1D.
↑ Finch, Peter (August 3, 1981). "Perfect game by Arendsen closes Games". San Jose Mercury-News. San Jose, California. p. 3D.
↑ SARGIS, JOE (Aug 2, 1981). "Arendsen pitches perfect game". United Press International.
↑ Dorsett, Renaldo (October 9, 2013). "Bahamian Softball Teams To Be Honoured". Retrieved 2026-08-25.
↑ "WBSC Softball Hall of Fame | Players". WorldBaseball Softball Confederation. Retrieved 2026-08-26.

[upi27-1] "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.

[results-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.

[upi28-12] SARGIS, JOE (Aug 2, 1981). "Arendsen pitches perfect game". United Press International.

[13] Dorsett, Renaldo (October 9, 2013). "Bahamian Softball Teams To Be Honoured". Retrieved 2026-08-25.

[14] "WBSC Softball Hall of Fame | Players". WorldBaseball Softball Confederation. Retrieved 2026-08-26.

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