Team Canada Earns Important Win over Puerto Rico
at WBSC Women’s World Championship

(Surrey, BC) The Canadian Women’s National Team earned an important win to stay in playoff contention at the WBSC Women’s World Softball Championship by defeating Puerto Rico 10-0. Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, BC) went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate including a key two-run triple, while Lauren Bay Regula (Trail, BC) held Puerto Rico to only two hits over five innings to earn the win in the pitcher’s circle.
 
After Canada went down in order in the top of the first, Puerto Rico was the first team to get into the hit column by getting a two-out double, but the next batter popped out to third. Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON) also hit a two-out double in the top of the second but was left on base when the next batter grounded out to the shortstop. In the bottom of the frame, Puerto Rico got their leadoff batter on with a single, but two fielder’s choices and a line drive knocked down and thrown to first by Regula kept the game scoreless.
 
In the third, Franklin notched a slap single with one out and was sacrificed to second but a pop out to third left her on base. Canada was able to open the scoring with a few clutch hits in the top half of the fourth, putting four runs on the board. Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON) led off with a single up the middle off the shortstop’s glove and was replaced by pinch runner Kyla Benz (Surrey, BC), while Jenn Salling (Port Coquitlam, BC) followed with another single off the shortstop’s glove before Jen Yee (North Delta, BC) singled inside the right field line to push Benz to the plate and open the scoring. With runners on the corners, Carey-Leigh Thomas (Ohsweken, ON) hit a shallow fly ball that dropped just in front of the diving left fielder to give Canada a 2-0 lead. Shortly after, Franklin drew the infield in before driving a liner over the shortstop and all the way to the left-center field fence for a two-run triple to build a 4-0 lead.
 
Regula struck out the side in the bottom of the fourth, and Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) led off the top of the fifth with a single and was sacrificed to second but a strikeout and a ground out left her stranded. Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, BC) came on in relief of Regula to start the sixth and allowed a one-out single, but struck out the side to keep Puerto Rico off the scoreboard. Franklin was back at it again in the top of the seventh, leading the inning off with a single followed by a single by Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON) who advanced to second on the throw to third. Lye dropped a bunt single to load the bases with no outs before Rafter singled in a run on a line drive that dropped in front of the center-fielder. Salling followed by chopping a ball over the first baseman to plate two more runs, and Yee grounded out to second to bring another run in to score, increasing the lead to 8-0. Canada proceeded to load the bases again by getting a runner on base on a dropped third strike followed by a single before Franklin delivered a two-out, two-run single to center. Groenewegen got a strikeout and a pair of groundouts in the bottom of the seventh to close out the win.
 
Box Score: Canada 10 vs. Puerto Rico 0
 
Regula was fantastic in the pitcher’s circle, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out eight over five innings. Groenewegen was just as solid in relief, allowing one hit and striking out four in two innings. Franklin starred at the late with a triple, three singles and four runs batted in, while Salling and Yee each drove in two runs. Lye, Rafter and Thomas all added a pair of singles, with Hayward and Polidori contributing a hit apiece.
 
The win puts Canada (1-1) in second place in Section 4 behind Venezuela (2-0) and just ahead of Puerto Rico (1-1) with the head-to-head victory. Puerto Rico and Venezuela will square off at 5:30pm PDT on Thursday before Canada closes out the Championship Round Robin against Italy (0-2) at 7:30pm PDT.
 
In other Championship Round Robin scores on Wednesday, Chinese Taipei edged Great Britain 2-1, China defeated the Philippines 7-1, the United States beat Australia 5-3 and Mexico earned a 3-2 win over the Netherlands.

The top two teams from each section will advance to the Championship round, with the top team from each section earning double life and the second place teams earning single life. The tie-breaker is head-to-head record and runs against in the games among the tied teams.