Canada settles for Bronze medal; Australia World Champion
July 27, 2009
Saskatoon, SK
FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE
July26th, 2009
Canadasettles for Bronze medal; Australia World Champion
(Saskatoon,SK) – Despite a very good effort in an important game against the three-timedefending World Champions from New Zealand, the Canadian Senior Men’s NationalSoftball Team squandered a 4-2 lead by allowing six runs in the bottom of thefifth and was unable to fight back, losing 8-5 to settle for the Bronze medal.With the win, New Zealand moved on to the Gold medal Championship game, only tolose 5-0 to Australia. Adam Folkard pitched a complete game no-hitter for theAussies.
TheBronze medal game was delayed by a little more than an hour due to rain, butboth Canada and New Zealand were ready to go. In the top of the first, IanFehrman (Townsend, ON) wasted no time in getting the fans to their feet,launching a two-out solo homerun to centerfield to give Canada an early 1-0lead. Not to be outdone, New Zealand responded right away in the bottom half ofthe inning. With one out, Nathan Nukunuku ripped a double down the first baseline, followed by an RBI single by Jarrod Martin. After Martin stole second, hewas temporarily replaced by pinch-runner, and Brad Rona singled him in to giveNew Zealand a 2-1 lead.
TeamCanada tied the game up in the third, as Sean O’Brien (St. John’s, NL) startedthings off with a single, followed by a perfectly placed bunt by Jeff Ellsworth(St. Lawrence, PEI) to put Canadians on first and second. Ian Fehrman laterdelivered a two-out single to tie the game 2-2.
Canadathen ignited the fans by taking a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Withone out, Jeff Ellsworth drew a walk, and Ryan Wolfe (Melbourne, ON) hit aground ball that was thrown away to place runners on second and third. Up camethe man of the day, Ian Fehrman, who delivered once again with two outs,scoring both runners on a hard single past first base, sending the crowd into afrenzy of cheers and foot stomps.
Withthe crowd still buzzing from Fehrman’s hit, New Zealand’s bats came alive inthe bottom of the inning, as Nathan Nukunuku and Jarrod Martin led off theinning with back-to-back homeruns, and after a walk to Brad Rona, Canadianpitcher Todd Martin (Bracebridge, ON) was replaced by Dean Holoien (Melfort, SK),who immediately served up a two-run homerun by Donny Hale to deep centerfield,giving New Zealand a 6-4 lead. The runs did not stop there, as Travis Wilsonripped a single spelling the end of Holoien’s outing, as he was replaced byTrevor Ethier (Saskatoon, SK). Pat Shannon then hit an RBI single, and DanielMilne smashed a double to score yet another run to increase the lead to 8-4.
Withtime running out, Canada needed to chip away at the lead, and that happenedwhen Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, BC) forced a walk, and Jody Eidt (Mitchell,ON) slashed a double to the right-center field gap which scored Mayson all theway from first. Eidt moved up to third on a smart play, as New Zealand’sinfielders gathered at the pitcher’s circle without calling time. However, TeamCanada was unable to push him across to score. Ian Fehrman had a one-out singlein the seventh, but Canada was unable to muster any runs, sending New Zealandto the Championship game.
SeanWhitten (Maddox Cove, NL) got the start for Canada, but only lasted a third ofan inning, allowing two runs on three hits. Todd Martin pitched four goodinnings of relief, but allowed three runs on four hits with three strikeouts.Holoien failed to record an out and gave up two runs on two hits, while Ethierpitched the last 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with twostrikeouts. Marty Grant was the complete-game winner for New Zealand.
IanFehrman was Canada’s most consistent hitter throughout the tournament, and kepthis hot bat by going four-for-four with a homerun, two runs batted in and tworuns scored. Jody Eidt, Sean O’Brien and Jeff Ellsworth complete Canada’s sevenhits with one each.
Inthe Championship game, Australian pitcher Adam Folkard pitched a seven inningno-hitter against the powerful New Zealand bats, and Australia scored a run inthe second, two in the fourth and one in each of the fifth and sixth innings tosecure the 5-0 Gold medal win. It was Australia’s first ever Gold medal at theISF Men’s World Championship, breaking New Zealand’s streak of three straightWorld titles. New Zealand settled for a Silver medal, with Canada taking theBronze.
RogersSportsnet will be airing the Bronze Medal game between Canada and New Zealandat 2:00pm EDT on Wednesday, July 29th, while the Gold MedalChampionship game between Australia and New Zealand will air at 2:00pm EDT onFriday, July 31st.
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Formore information, please contact:
GillesLeBlanc
Manager– Marketing and Communications
SoftballCanada
(613)797-7171
