July2011

Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship - Playoff Game 1

July 16, 2011

Surrey, BC

Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship - Playoff Game 1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15th, 2011

Canadian Senior Women's Softball Team Loses Playoff Opener at Canadian Open Fastpitch Championship

(Surrey, BC) The Canadian Senior Women's National Team started their playoff round on the wrong foot on Friday, losing an 8-5 decision to Team Venezuela. A five-run top of the first set the tone for the game for Venezuela, but Canada showed resiliency by coming back to tie the game in the bottom of the frame. However, Venezuela added two runs in the third and another in the fifth while keeping Canada off the scoreboard.

In the top of the first, Maria Soto led off the game by reaching on an error. Yuruby Alicart later singled, and cleanup hitter Denisse Fuenmayor hit a two-run double to open the scoring. Three consecutive singles brought in three more runs as Venezuela took a commanding 5-0 lead before Canada even got a chance to bat. In the bottom of the inning, Canada matched Venezuela to tie the score at 5-5. Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) started things off with a one-out single, followed by a walk by Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON). After a two-out walk by Meagan Baird (Ajax, ON) loaded the bases, Jenna Rodriguez (Edmonton, AB) smashed a grand slam to get Canada within one. Canada quickly loaded the bases again after singles by Danielle Lopez (Barrie, ON), Hannah Schwarz (Scarborough, ON) and Jill Russell (London, ON) before Megan Timpf (Port Dover, ON) was hit by a pitch to tie the game.

Venezuela went back to work in the top of the second by loading the bases, but Canadian pitcher Sarah Phillips (Mississauga, ON) was able to strike out the last hitter to escape the inning. However, in the following inning, Geraldine Puertas led off with a single and moved up to second before Cristina Rodriguez hit a ground-rule double to drive her in to score. Rodriguez later scored on a groundout to give Venezuela a 7-5 lead.

After the five run first inning, the Canadian bats were silenced by Venezuela reliever Adriana Velasquez, who retired Canada in order from the second to the fifth inning. Venezuela added another insurance run in the fifth on an RBI single by Yuruby Alicart, and Canada only managed to get one runner on base in the sixth and seventh innings as Venezuela closed out the game for the important win.

Karissa Hovinga (Edmonton, AB) started the game for Canada, allowing five runs - four earned - on four hits in a third of an inning. Reliever Sarah Phillips allowed three runs on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts in four innings and a third. Jenna Caira (Toronto, ON) finished the last two and a third innings, allowing two hits and a walk with a strikeout. At the plate, Danielle Lopez (Barrie, ON) had two hits for the red and white, while Jenna Rodriguez had the big grand slam. Joey Lye, Hannah Schwarz, Jill Russell and Kelsey Haberl (Burnaby, BC) had the other Canadian hits.

With the loss, Team Canada will now play China Nanjing University at 10:30am PDT at Softball City on Saturday in an elimination game. The winner of that game will move on to play immediately after at 1:00pm PDT, with the winner of that game going on to play at 8:30pm PDT.

On a positive note, Team Canada first baseman Kelsey Haberl was named to the tournament All-Star team with a 0.381 batting average and a 1.000 fielding percentage.

Team Canada 5 vs. Team Venezuela 8 - Box Score and Play by Play

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For more information, please contact:

Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 797-7171
gleblanc@softball.ca
 
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