Surrey, B.C. – The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team earned two shutout wins on Wednesday, defeating the Calahoo Erins 10-0 and New Zealand 12-0 to stay undefeated at the 2019 Canada Cup International Softball Championship.
 
In the first game against the Calahoo Erins, Team Canada got out to an early lead in the top of the first thanks to a Jennifer Gilbert (Saskatoon, Sask.) single that plated Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.) and then an error allowed Kelsey Jenkins (Delta, B.C.) to reach and Emma Entzminger (Victoria, B.C.) to score from third. Jenkins pushed home the third run of the night for Canada as well, singling home Gilbert after she led off the third inning with a double to left.
 
Canada added three more runs in the fifth. Gilbert earned her second RBI of the night on a ground ball single to left that scored Entzminger. Gilbert scored on Jenkins’ single two batters later after being advanced to second on a single by Jennifer Salling (Port Coquitlam, B.C.). The final run of the frame came thanks to a hit by pitch to Callum Pilgrim (Abbotsford, B.C.) with the bases loaded.
 
Canada added four runs in the seventh. Shianne Brannan (Chino, Calif.) started it off with her first home run as a member of the National Team, Polidori singled in the eighth run and Entzminger pushed a run in with a sacrifice fly before Salling singled to score Canada’s tenth run.
 
Box Score: Canada 10 vs. Calahoo Erins 0
 
Gilbert’s five hits on the night lead the way for Team Canada, and Jenkins was the top RBI getter in the game with three. In the circle, Jenna Caira (Toronto, Ont.) earned the win in her first start of the tournament, going the full seven innings in a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and no walks.
 
Game two was another dominant performance for Canada both offensively and defensively. Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, B.C.) got the start and fired a four-inning no-hitter while striking out three. The only baserunner of the night came on a first-inning walk.
 
The runs came early and often, starting in the first with five, all of which came with two outs. With Gilbert on second and Salling on first, Jenkins continued her hot hitting with a double that plated both. Two batters later a single by Janet Leung (Mississauga, Ont.) pushed home Jenkins to make it 3-0, and an error on a Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) pop-up allowed two more runs to score.
 
Joey Lye (Toronto, Ont.) tagged up and scored on a Jenkins’ foul out in the second for run number six. Two more runs came home in the third thanks to a Leung single and an RBI ground out by Hayward.
 
Canada finished off the game in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Entzminger and a three-run home run from Leung, who finished the game three-for-three at the plate with two singles, a home run and five RBIs.
 
Box Score: Canada 12 vs. New Zealand Major Sox 0
 
Canada will look to stay undefeated against Chinese Taipei at 6:00pm PDT on Thursday night.
 
Canadian Juniors Shut Out by Mizuno Impulse
 
The Canadian Junior Women’s National Team fell to 0-3 after a 4-0 loss to Team Mizuno Impulse from Texas.
 
Mizuno Impulse scored their first run in the top of the first inning after managing to get three singles. Team Canada got a leadoff single by Kendra Falby (Tampa, Fla.) in the bottom of the first but she was called out for leaving the base early on a steal attempt. The red and white put two more runners on base with two outs on a single by Lauren Benson (Surrey, B.C.) and a walk, but a pop out left both runners stranded on base.
 
The pitching took over from there for Mizuno Impulse, as they sat Canada down in order in each of the next four innings. Falby singled again in the bottom of the sixth but was retired on a double play on  a ground ball to third by the very next batter. Benson got a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, but a pair of strikeouts and a pop out ended the game. Mizuno Impulse added single runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings to pad its lead.
 
Box Score: Mizuno Impulse 4 vs. Canada Juniors 0
 
Katie Korstrom (Abbotsford, B.C.) got the start for Canada and allowed two runs on six hits and struck out two batters in two innings and a third. Alexis Lucyshyn (Calgary, Alta.) pitched four innings and two thirds of relief, also allowing two runs on three hits and struck out three. Falby and Benson each hit two singles to account for Canada’s four hits.
 
The Junior team will wrap up the preliminary round with a game against Puerto Rico at 8:30pm PDT on Thursday.