July2011

Canadian Senior National Team Wins Pair of Games at Canadian Open Fastpitch Championship

July 17, 2011

Surrey, BC

Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship - Playoffs Day 2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16th, 2011

Canadian Senior National Team Wins Pair of Games at Canadian Open Fastpitch Championship

(Surrey, BC) After being delayed by five hours due to inclement weather, the Canadian Senior Women's National Team finally got onto the field, beating China Nanjing University 5-0 before moving on to beat the California A's by a score of 2-1 in eight innings in Scotiabank Canadian Open Faspitch International Championship playoff action on Saturday. With the two wins, Canada will now play Australia at 10:00am PDT on Sunday, with the winner moving on to face the losing team of the USA/Japan playoff game at 1:30pm PDT. The Championship game will then be played at 6:30pm PDT later in the day.

In the first game against China Nanjing University, Team Canada opened the scoring in the top of the third inning when Hannah Schwarz (Scarborough, ON) led off with a single and scored on a two-run homerun by Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON), a no-doubter over the center field fence to give Canada a 2-0 lead. The red and white added two more insurance runs in the fifth. Schwarz hit her second single of the game, and after a single by Megan Timpf (Port Dover, ON) pushed Schwarz to third, she scored on an error as the catcher threw the ball away on a double steal. Kaleigh Rafter then hit an RBI single to push Timpf in to score.

Canada would add one more run in the top of the seventh, as Melanie Matthews (Surrey, BC) led off with a single, advanced to second by tagging up on a deep fly ball to right field, and scored on a single by Kelsey Haberl (Burnaby, BC).

China Nanjing University was unable to get much started against Canadian pitcher Jenna Caira (Toronto, ON), who pitched the complete game shutout allowing only four hits and a walk with five strikeouts. At the plate, Rafter, Schwarz and Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) all had two hits for Canada, while Matthews, Haberl and Timpf each added one.

In the second game, The California A's gave Canada all they had, outhitting the Canadians 6-4 in the game but coming out on the losing end of a 2-1 game in eight innings. As indicated by the scoreless game through seven innings, starting pitchers Sarah Phillips (Mississauga, ON) of Canada and Stephanie Ricketts of the California A's battled back and forth in a great pitching duel. Phillips scattered five hits and a walk with three strikeouts over five innings and a third, while Ricketts pitched all eight innings for the A's, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and six walks with two strikeouts. But at the end of the day, Jenna Caira was the one who would earn the win, coming in with one out in the sixth to pitch two and two third innings, allowing one unearned run on a hit with six strikeouts.

Phillips was the first to get into trouble in the bottom of the third, as she walked and gave up a single before the runners were sacrificed to second and third. However, the next batter grounded a pitch to Kelsey Haberl at first, who fired the ball to home to retire the runner at the plate. Phillips struck out the next hitter to hold the game scoreless. Canada responded in the top of the fourth with a leadoff double by Kelsey Haberl, but pinch-runner Shelby Lia (Whitby, ON) was retired at third on a fielder's choice. California would threaten to score again in the sixth, taking advantage of a single and an error to put runners on the corners, but Jenna Caira came in and struck out the last hitter to escape the inning.

With the game still scoreless after seven innings, Team Canada started with Hannah Schwarz on second base due to the international tie-breaker rule. After she was sacrificed to third, Megan Timpf reached base on an error and Kaleigh Rafter was intentionally walked to load the bases. Kelsey Haberl then drove a line drive to center field that was deep enough for Schwarz to tag up to give Canada a 1-0 lead. After a walk loaded the bases once again, Jenna Rodriguez (Edmonton, AB) forced yet another walk to bring in a second run. In the bottom of the inning, California was able to score their runner from second, but was unable to get any other runners on base and Caira struck out the last hitter to earn the win.

Team Canada 5 vs. China Nanjing University 0 - Box Score and Play by Play

Team Canada 2 vs. California A's 1 - 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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