FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 3^rd, 2009

 

 

(Maracay, Venezuela) – The Canadian Senior Women’s NationalTeam improved its record to 4-0 after taking both ends of a doubleheader at the2009 Women’s Pan Am Championship, defeating Puerto Rico 7-0 in six innings andPeru 11-0 in five innings on Monday. Canada has now outscored its opponents46-3 in four games, and also holds a 4-0 lead over Argentina in a game thatwill be completed on Thursday.

              

In the first game of the day, Canada got off to an early 3-0lead against Puerto Rico as Melanie Matthews (Surrey, BC) walked, Jenn Salling(Port Coquitlam, BC) doubled and Jennifer Yee (North Delta, BC) drove in bothruns with a solid single. Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON) then singled to score Yeefor Canada’s third run. In inning number three, Yee led off with a long tripleand scored on a RBI groundout by Rafter, putting Canada up 4-0. Canada wentahead 5-0 in the fourth when Melanie Matthews singled and later scored on anRBI single by Jenn Salling.

 

In the sixth inning, Canada ended the game on the run rulewhen Evelyne Pare (Ile-Perrot, QC) walked, Jenn Salling singled, and JenniferYee belted an RBI single to bring Pare in to score. A single by Sheena Lawrick(Calgary, AB) and a double by Kaleigh Rafter pushed across the seventh run toend the game with the final score Canada 7, Puerto Rico 0.

 

Danielle Lawrie (Langley, BC) was the winning pitcher forCanada shutting out Puerto Rico on a one-hitter with 8 strikeouts.

 

In Canada’s second game of the day, they pounded out 11 runsin defeating Peru 11-0. Once again Canada started early scoring three runs inthe first inning as Evelyne Pare walked, Melanie Matthews doubled and JenniferYee belted a triple to score both runners. Kaleigh Rafter then launched a longsacrifice fly ball to left to score Yee and give Canada a 3-0 lead.

 

The Canadian bats came alive again in the fourth as theypushed across six more runs to make the score 9-0. Kelsey Haberl (Burnaby, BC)led off with a double which was followed by back-to-back doubles by Megan Timpf(Port Dover, ON) and Jessica Tieszen (Surrey, BC) before an RBI single byVictoria Hayward (Mountain View, California) added two more Canadian runs. Anerror by Peru and a triple by Melanie Mathews increased the score to 7-0 forCanada. Then, another error was committed and Kaleigh Rafter hit an RBI singleto give Canada the 9-0 lead. Canada pushed across two more runs in the fifth toseal the victory as Jessica Tieszen walked, Melanie Matthews reached baseona fielder’s choice and Jennifer Yee drove in both runners with a double.

Marisa Litster (North Saanich, BC) pitched the win forCanada allowing only one hit - a single to right field in the top of the fifthinning – and struck out seven. She allowed only two base runners during thegame.

 

Canada will play another doubleheader on Tuesday with gamesagainst Aruba at 1:00pm EDT and the US Virgin Islands at 3:30pm EDT.

 

-SC-

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Gilles LeBlanc

Manager – Marketing and Communications

Softball Canada

(613) 523-3386 x3105