Canadaearns split at KFC World Cup of Softball
July 20, 2009
Oklahoma City, OK
FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE
July19th, 2009
Canadaearns split at KFC World Cup of Softball
(OklahomaCity, OK) – The Canadian Senior Women’s National Team split a pair of gamestoday in Oklahoma City, OK to finish the preliminary round with a 3-2 record.Canada lost 5-4 to Japan this afternoon, and beat the Netherlands 9-2 in fiveinnings earlier tonight.
Inthe game against Japan, Canada scored two runs in the top of the first to takean early lead. Victoria Hayward (Mountain View, California) reached on an errorbefore Jennifer Yee (North Delta, BC) smashed a two-run homerun to left-centerfield. The red and white added to its lead in the second, as Evelyne Pare (Ile-Perrot,QC) singled with two outs, stole second base, and reached third on an errorbefore scoring on catcher’s interference, giving Canada a 3-0 lead.
AfterJapan scored their first run in the bottom of the frame, Canada restored thethree run lead the following inning when Jennifer Yee walked, stole second andlater scored on a single by Sheena Lawrick (Calgary, AB). Japan responded withfour runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-4 lead, and was able to holdon for the win.
JennaCaira (Toronto, ON) started the game for Canada, allowing three runs (twoearned) on two hits with one strikeout over 2 1/3 innings. Danielle Lawrie(Langley, BC) pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs on four hitswith two strikeouts.
SheenaLawrick has a pair of hits for Canada, while Yee (homerun), Hayward, Pare andErin Cumpstone (Saskatoon, SK) rounded out the six-hit attack for Canada.
Inthe nightcap against the Netherlands, Canada gave up an early run in the top ofthe first, but exploded for six runs in the bottom of the inning. MelanieMatthews (Surrey, BC) led off with a walk, followed by a bunt single byVictoria Hayward. Jennifer Salling (Port Coquitlam, BC) then reached on anerror, allowing Matthews to score. Jennifer Yee walked to load the bases, andboth Sheena Lawrick and Erin Cumpstone drove in a run with RBI singles,followed by a hit-by-pitch to Megan Timpf for yet another run. Cumpstone laterscored on a passed ball to give Canada a 6-1 lead.
Afterthe Netherlands scored a run in the top of the third, Canada replied with tworuns of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Cumpstone led off with asingle, followed by a walk forced by Timpf. After a groundout moved the runnersto second and third, Caitlin Lever (Buffalo, New York) hit a two-run single toright-center field, increasing the Canadian lead to 8-2. Canada scored thegame-winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning after Cumpstone deliveredand RBI single with the bases loaded and two outs.
JennaCaira picked up the win for Canada, allowing two unearned runs on two hits withseven strikeouts in three innings, while Leah McIntosh (Whitby, ON) pitched twoinnings of relief, giving up only one hit.
Cumpstoneled Canada at the plate with three hits and two runs batted in, while MelanieMatthews also collected three hits and drove in one. Victoria Hayward, JenniferSalling, Sheena Lawrick and Megan Timpf each chipped in a hit for the red andwhite.
Canada’s3-2 record was good enough to tie them with both Australia and Japan for secondplace, but due to the run differential tie-breaker, Canada finished theround-robin in third place, and will take on Japan in the 3rd vs. 4thgame at 3:30pm CDT on Monday.
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Formore information, please contact:
GillesLeBlanc
Manager– Marketing and Communications
SoftballCanada
(613)797-7171
