Barranquilla, Colombia – The Canadian U17 Junior Women’s National Team finished the preliminary round with an 8-0 win over Colombia in five innings. With the win, Canada finished first in Group B with a 4-0 record heading into the Super Round.
 
In the top of the first, Colombia got a one out single, but the next batter hit a shallow fly ball that was tracked down by second baseman Amy Hughes (Brampton, Ont.) and tossed to second for an inning-ending double play. In the bottom of the frame, Canada loaded the bases with two walks and a single by Erin Murphy (Surrey, B.C.) but a double play on a line drive to shortstop and a throw to first left the game scoreless. Canadian starting pitcher Samantha Ryan (Monroe, N.Y.) struck out the side in the top of the second before Team Canada opened the scoring in the bottom of the inning, as Madelyn McKinnon (Surrey, B.C.) drew a one-out walk, followed by a pair of singles by Ella Herrewig (Surrey, B.C.) and Olivia Goderis (Swan Lake, Man.) to score the first run. The next run scored on an error by the second baseman on a ground ball as Canada took a 2-0 lead after two innings of play.
 
Ryan retired Colombia in order in the third and Canada exploded for six runs in their own half of the inning. Emma Dorval (Surrey, B.C.) led off with a single and moved up to third on a double by Hughes. Lauren Benson (Surrey, B.C.) then lined a double to left to score two runs, and after moving up to third on a ground out, she scored when Herrewig split the left-center field gap for a triple. Herrewig crossed the plate on an error, and after a single put two runners on base, Abbey Tolmie (Clarkston, Mich.) hit a fly ball over the right fielder for a two-run triple, increasing Canada’s lead to 8-0.
 
Colombia started the fourth with a double, but Ryan settled in with two strikeouts and a ground out to get out of the inning. Katie Korstrom (Abbotsford, B.C.) came on in relief in the fifth and issued a leadoff walk but struck out the next batter then induced a game ending double play on a ground ball to the shortstop.
 
Box Score: Canada 8 vs. Colombia 0
 
Ryan allowed two hits and a walk while striking out eight batters in four innings of work, while Korstrom issued a walk and struck out one in an inning of relief. Offensively, Herrewig hit a triple and a single and drove in one run, Tolmie hit a two-run triple, Benson had a two-run double and Hughes contributed with a double. Dorval and Murphy had two hits apiece, with Goderis and Shelby Miller (Newmarket, Ont.) each driving in a run.
 
As a result of their first-place finish in Group B, Canada will open the Super Round against the United States (4-0) who finished first in Group A at 7:00pm local time (8:00pm EDT) on Wednesday. Canada’s other Super Round Games will be against Mexico (3-1, 2nd Group A) at 4:30pm on Thursday and Peru (2-2, 3rd Group A) at 7:00pm on Friday. Puerto Rico (3-1) and Colombia (2-2) finished second and third respectively behind Canada in Group B. After the Super Round, the teams with the top two records will advance to Saturday’s Gold medal game, with the next two bets records squaring off for Bronze.