All photos courtesy of Ki’ele Ho-Ching, via USA Softball.
Long Beach Poly softball star Ki’ele Ho-Ching won a gold medal last week with the USA Women’s U-18 Softball Team at the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup in Oklahoma City. Ho-Ching drove in a run in the gold medal game with a single during Team USA’s 7-2 championship win over Japan.
Team USA’s win marks its fifth consecutive championship, extending a 48-game winning streak at the World Championship. The squad remained undefeated at the World Cup with victories over China, Chinese Taipei, Canada, Mexico, and two wins against Japan. Ho-Ching scored three runs during the five-day stretch, collecting three hits and an RBI.
Ho-Ching is currently ranked as the No. 1 player in the nation, according to Prep Softball, and was one of 16 players from 10 states selected to the USA U-18 team. Her appearance makes her the first Moore League softball player to play on a USA Softball Youth National Team, according to USA Softball archives.
Ho-Ching joins the ranks of local sports icons to put on the “USA” jersey, including Lisa Fernandez, a Long Beach native who attended St. Joseph, and Tiare Jennings, a San Pedro native who attended St. Anthony. Both Fernandez and Jennings have represented the Senior National Team.
The Oklahoma commit is poised for another standout season as a senior with Long Beach Poly, leading a talented Jackrabbit squad looking to dethrone perennial Moore League champions Millikan. The Jackrabbits are coming off a CIF-SS Division 4 championship—the first in program history.
According to MaxPreps, Ho-Ching batted an astounding .500 last year through 11 games with Long Beach Poly, with a .568 on base percentage. The senior tallied 19 hits, 18 RBIs and 13 runs scored for the Jackrabbits.
