FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8th, 2011
Canada Opens ISF Junior Women's World Softball Championship with loss to the United States (Cape Town, South Africa) Canada's Junior Women's National Team opened their ISF Junior Women's World Championships schedule with an 11-4 loss to the United States. The game was a sloppy one, as Canada's pitchers struggled by issuing 12 walks and a hit batter, and the USA made four errors in the field. Canada will try to even its record to 1-1 tomorrow when they face Botswana who lost an extra inning 8-7 decision to South Africa in their opener on Thursday.
Canada's starting pitcher
Karissa Hovinga (Edmonton, AB) got into trouble in the first inning when she gave up two hits to lead off the inning before
Carey-Leigh Thomas (Ohsweken, ON) made a nice play at short when she was able to make a tough play on a ground ball and flip to
Taylor Beck (Vancouver, BC) at third base for the force out. Hovinga then walked the next two batters to force in a run before Canada made their first of three double plays when second baseman
Shannon Davidson (Whitby, ON) fielded a ground ball, tagged the base runner and threw to first to get Canada out of a bases loaded jam. In the top of the second, Canada threatened when Davidson walked with two outs and
Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, ON) hit a flare down the left field line to put two runners on. Taylor Beck then lined a shot that the USA pitcher knocked down and was able to recover to throw Beck out at first. Davidson later gave Canada their second double play when after a leadoff walk, she was able to convert a double play on a grounder to second.
In the bottom of the third, the USA added five runs as they sent 10 batters to the plate to take a 6-0 lead. Hovinga gave up four hits and four runs while getting one out before
Jocelyn Cater (Delta, BC) relieved her and faced four batters walking two, hitting one and allowing a hit. With the bases loaded,
Natalie Becker (Waterloo, ON) was called upon and promptly induced a double play from pitcher to home to first on a ball hit back to her to give Canada its third double play of the night.
Canada got two runs back in the top of the fourth, as
Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON) led off with a slow roller to short that she beat out and advanced to second on a bad throw by the American shortstop.
Jaycee Affeldt (Maple Ridge, BC) reached base on an error and was replaced on the bases by
Tessa Loewen (Abbotsford, BC), and Thomas hit a fielder's choice as Polidori was out at third. With two out, Wideman hit a ground ball to third that was thrown away at first and allowed both Affeldt and Thomas to score.
In the top of the fifth, Canada scored two more times to cut the lead to 6-4. With two out,
Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON) drew a walk, moved third when a grounder by Polidori went through the USA shortstop's legs. Affeldt then scored both with a single up the middle. Affeldt moved to third when Thomas' fly ball to centre was dropped to put the tying run on base, but Davidson ended the rally when she grounded out to short.
The USA put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the inning, as Becker gave up three hits and a walk and was replaced by Affeldt who could not stem the tide as she gave up two walks and two hits and walked the final run in to give the USA the run-rule victory with two outs.
Four Canadian pitchers gave up 11 hits, 12 walks, one hit by pitch with two strikeouts as Hovinga took the loss. Canada had four hits, two by Affeldt and singles to Polidori and Wideman as the USA pitchers struck out four Canadian batters.
For all tournament information, please visit the host website at http://jwwc2011.co.za or the Softball Canada website at http://www.softball.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.caFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2011
Canada evens its record with a win over Botswana at the ISF Junior Women's World Softball Championship (Cape Town, South Africa) Canada's Junior Women's National Team evened their record to 1-1 at the ISF IX Junior Women's World Softball Championship with a 7-0 run rule win over Botswana. Canada will play Puerto Rico at 10:30 EST on Saturday.
Team Canada banged out 10 hits on route to their run rule victory. They scored four runs in the first inning and three more in the fourth to beat Botswana in five innings. The pitching combination of
Jocelyn Cater (Delta, BC) and
Natalie Becker (Waterloo, ON) combined to pitch a no-hitter but the Canadian pitching staff continues to struggle with their control. Cater went three and a third innings firing nine strikeouts and walking five while Becker went an inning and two thirds with three strikeouts and one walk.
In their first at bat, Canada's first three hitters were all safe as
Jennifer Gilbert (Saskatoon, SK),
Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON) and Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON) all laid down drag bunts to quickly load the bases.
Jaycee Affeldt (Maple Ridge, BC) lined a single to right to score Gilbert, and
Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, ON) followed with a single up the middle to score Hayward later in the inning.
Kristy Noble (Uxbridge, ON) then singled past the shortstop to score both Polidori and Wideman.
After a scoreless second and third, Canada put three more runs across.
Tessa Loewen (Abbotsford, BC) started the inning off as she was safe on an error. Gilbert slapped a single through the middle to score Loewen who had moved up to second on a passed ball. Hayward was then safe with on a drag single, and Affeldt singled to center field to score two runs and give her three runs batted in on the day.
Hayward led Canada with three hits. Gilbert and Affeldt each added two, while Polidori, Wideman and Noble each chipped in with a single.
For all tournament information, please visit the host website at http://jwwc2011.co.za or the Softball Canada website at http://www.softball.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.ca 
