Team Canada Finishes Preliminary Round with Win
at WBSC Junior Women’s World Championship

(Oklahoma City, OK) The Canadian Junior Women’s National Team finished its preliminary round schedule with a 7-0 run rule win in six innings over New Zealand at the WBSC Junior Women’s World Softball Championship on Wednesday. Elizabeth Murphy (Maple Ridge, BC) fired a two-hitter and struck out six batters, while the offence was spread out throughout the lineup.
 
Kelsey Jenkins (Delta, BC) led off the top of the first with a walk, was sacrificed over to second by Callum Pilgrim (Abbotsford, BC) and later advanced to third on a passed ball, but she was left stranded on third after a pop out and a ground out to third base. Murphy was on her game in the pitcher’s circle, striking out two batters in the bottom of the inning. Courtney Gilbert (Delhi, ON) connected with a two-out single in the second but a fly out to right left her on base, while New Zealand managed a one-out single but was unable to score.
 
Team Canada got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of third inning. Julianna Waldner (Altona, MB) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning followed by an infield single by Jenkins. After the runners were sacrificed to second and third by Pilgrim, Emma Entzminger (Victoria, BC) was intentionally walked to load the bases. The next batter flew out for the second out before Alisha Welch (Langley, BC) hit a clutch two-run single to right to give Canada a 2-0 lead.
 
Murphy made quick work of New Zealand in the bottom of the third, and Becki Monaghan (Spruce Grove, AB) had a one-out infield single in the fourth but could not advance any further. Murphy got two more strikeouts and a fly out in the bottom half of the inning. In the top of the fifth, Entzminger hit a one-out double to left followed by a walk by Holly Speers (Surrey, BC) before Welch dropped a bunt that was thrown away at first, allowing Entzminger to score. Taylor Lundrigan (Abbotsford, BC) then doubled to center to bring in two runs and later scored on a triple to right by Monaghan to increase Canada’s lead to 6-0.
 
New Zealand went down in order again in the bottom of the fifth, and Canada added a run when Entzminger worked a one-out walk, Speers reached on an error and Lundrigan walked to load the bases before Gilbert was hit by a pitch to force the seventh run home. New Zealand managed a one-out single but was unable to extend the game.
 
Box Score: Canada 7 vs. New Zealand 0
 
Murphy earned the win by allowing only two hits and striking out six in six innings. Monaghan led the offence with a triple, a single and a run batted in, while Lundrigan added a double and drove in two runs and Entzminger also doubled and score twice. Welch added a two-run single, Gilbert connected with an RBI single and Jenkins also chipped in a single in the win.

Day 4 Scores
 
Chinese Taipei 7 vs. Brazil 1
Italy 2 vs. Puerto Rico 1
China 2 vs. Great Britain 1
Japan 9 vs. Argentina 0
United States 16 vs. Mexico 0
Czech Republic 1 vs. Australia 0
New Zealand 7 vs. Colombia 0
Puerto Rico 4 vs. Chinese Taipei 1
Japan 19 vs. China 0
United States 7 vs. Czech Republic 0
Italy 5 vs. Brazil 2
Mexico 2 vs. Australia 1
 
Team Canada (5-1) earned double life in the playoff round by finishing second place in Pool A and will cross over to play the United States (7-0) who finished first in Pool B at 7:30pm CDT on Thursday. The other crossover will see Japan (6-0) take on Mexico (5-2) at 5:00pm CDT. The other two playoff matchups will feature China (4-2) against Puerto Rico (4-3) at 12:00pm CDT and the Czech Republic (4-3) taking on  New Zealand (3-3) at 2:30pm CDT.