Surrey, B.C. – The Canadian Women’s National Team completed the opening round of the 2019 WBSC Softball Americas Qualifier with an 18-0 win over the Bahamas on Thursday night. Canada will now advance to the Super Round with a 2-0 record by virtue of beating Puerto Rico and Cuba – the two other Group A teams that will advance – in the opening round.
 
Canada did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard against the Bahamas by putting up four runs in the top of the first inning and used a ten run third to put the game totally out of reach.
 
Emma Entzminger (Victoria, B.C.) led off the game by hitting a single up the middle and stole second base. Holly Speers (Surrey, B.C.) was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base before Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.) drilled a double over the left fielder to push both runners in to score. A triple to the left-center field gap by Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, B.C.) scored Polidori, with Franklin crossing the plate on a wild pitch to give Canada a 4-0 lead.
 
After a scoreless second, Franklin hit a one-out single in the third, stole second and scored on a single by Janet Leung (Mississauga, Ont.). A double by Joey Lye (Toronto, Ont.) put runners on second and third and Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) smacked a two-run single up the middle to score them both. A hit by pitch and a walk loaded the bases and another walk forced a run home before Jennifer Salling (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) hit a two-run single to center to increase the lead to 10-0. Polidori hit an RBI double to left followed by a two-run double by Franklin, who went on to score on a single by Leung to complete the ten run inning.
 
Jenkins was hit by a pitch to start the fourth followed by a single by Speers with both runners coming in to score on a double to right by Salling. Polidori’s third double of the game plated Salling and she later scored on an error to round out the scoring.
 
Box Score: Canada 18 vs. Bahamas 0
 
Jenna Caira (Toronto, Ont.) got the start for Canada, allowing only a single in the second and one walk while striking out eight in the four inning game.
 
Team Canada will play its first Super Round game against Venezuela at 6:00pm PDT on Friday.