Cuba edge Kiwis at softball championship

New Zealand's White Sox slipped to a narrow 1-0 loss to Cuba on the second day of the women's world softball championship in the Netherlands.

The Kiwis opened their campaign with a 5-1 win over Russia in Haarlem, but couldn't overcome Cuba in a tightly fought encounter which was won when Yuselys Acosta crossed on the back of two New Zealand errors in the third inning.

New Zealand's next game is early on Monday against Canada, who are unbeaten to date with a 3-2 win over Puerto Rico and an 8-1 thumping of the Czech Republic.

The Naomi Shaw-coached New Zealanders, who haven't won the women's world championship since 1986, are seeking to advance to the quarter-finals with a top-eight finish.

They placed sixth in their eight-team pool at the 2012 tournament in Canada.