July2015

Canadian Women’s Softball Team Blanks Brazil 6-0 to Open Pan American Games

July 20, 2015

Toronto, ON

 

Canadian Women’s Softball Team Blanks Brazil 6-0 to Open Pan American Games 

The following is a media release issued by Softball Canada.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20th, 2015
 

Canadian Women’s Softball Team Blanks
Brazil 6-0 to Open Pan American Games 


(Ajax, Ontario) The Canadian Women’s Softball Team opened the Pan American Games with a 6-0 win over Brazil. Jenna Caira (Toronto, ON) started off in the circle for Canada, while Jocelyn Cater (Delta, BC) came in relief of Caira in the top of the fifth inning. Both pitchers dominated in the circle, shutting out the Brazilian team and combining for a one-hitter. Offensively, the team scored its six runs on ten hits, including a two-run homerun by Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON).
 
Brazil left a runner stranded on base in the top of the first inning, while Canada wasted no time in getting on the board. A string of hits started with a triple by Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) just inside the right field fence. Rafter then drove one out of the park for a two-run homerun that put Canada up 2-0 early on. Jenn Salling (Port Coquitlam, BC) continued the hits with a hard ground ball past the shortstop that landed her a double. Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON) reached first base on a hit-by-pitch, and was followed by a single into left field by Megan Gurski (Dalmeny, SK) to drive in Salling for another run. Canada came out of the first inning with a 3-0 lead.
 
Team Canada made quick work of the Brazilian offence by shutting out three batters in the top of the second. In the bottom of the inning, Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, BC) and Jen Yee (North Delta, BC) strung together back-to-back singles, leaving them on the corners. A stolen base by Yee left two runners in scoring position with only one out. Rafter reached on an error, allowing Franklin and Yee to score to put Canada up 5-0 at the end of two innings. The third and fourth innings went scoreless with both teams leaving runners stranded.
 
In the top of the fifth, Cater struck out two batters and forced a fly ball to Sara Riske (Richmond, BC) for the third out. Polidori then started Canada off with a solid hit to left field for a single, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Gurski, but was ultimately left stranded. 
 
Canada’s last run of the game came in the bottom of the sixth inning after Yee hit a double to the outfield followed by a run-scoring single to right field by Lye. The red and white went into the top of the seventh inning with a 6-0 lead needing only three outs to secure the win. The team did just that with two fly outs and a strikeout, leaving two Brazilians on base to end the game.
 
Box Score: Canada 6 vs. Brazil 0
 
Caira earned the Canada’s first win of the tournament by pitching four innings, striking out six and not allowing any hits. Cater pitched the remaining three innings and had a solid performance with three strikeouts and allowing only one hit. Rafter contributed a homerun and two runs batted in for Canada while Yee, Lye, and Salling had two hits apiece. Adding to those were hits by Polidori, Gurski, and Franklin for a total of ten hits in six innings for Canada.
 
Other scores on Day 1 of Women’s Softball action at the 2015 Pan American Games included a 3-1 win for Cuba over the Dominican Republic and a 9-2 win for the United States over Puerto Rico. 
 
Team Canada continues their Pan American Games schedule with a game against Cuba at 7:00pm EDT on Monday.

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For more information, please contact:

Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.ca
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