FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 10, 2011

Canada defeats Puerto Rico at ISF Junior Women's World Softball Championship

(Cape Town, South Africa) Canada's Junior Women's National Team got their second win of the ISF IX Junior Women's World Championships by beating Puerto Rico 7-0 on the run rule. Canada now has a record of 2-1 and will play New Zealand, who are also 2-1, at 5:30am EST Sunday morning.

Shannon Davidson's (Whitby, ON) three-run walk off homerun in the bottom of the fifth ended the game on the run rule as Canada recorded a 7-0 victory. Canada got some good pitching today as Madison Schreyer (Winnipeg, MB) picked up the win with relief help from Karissa Hovinga (Edmonton, AB) as the duo allowed four hits with four strikeouts and four walks in the five inning game.

In the first inning, Schreyer was able to work herself out of a jam as Puerto Rico had two runners on, but Schreyer was able to get a strikeout to get out of it.

The red and white got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the first. With one out, Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON) beat out a drag bunt but was forced out at second when Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON) hit a ball back to the pitcher. Jaycee Affeldt (Maple Ridge, BC) singled to right center field to move Polidori over to third. Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, ON) drew a walk to load the bases and Carey-Leigh Thomas (Ohsweken, ON) was hit by a pitch to score Polidori for Canada's first run of the game. With two outs, Shannon Davidson hit soft roller to shortstop who could not throw Davidson out at first as Affeldt scored. Thomas headed towards third only to find Wideman had rounded third and was held up. Puerto Rico got Thomas in a run down between second and third and they dropped the ball to allow Wideman to score and Thomas was safe at third.

In Puerto Rico's half of the second inning, Schreyer issued two walks with one out but managed to get a strikeout and a ground ball to Davidson at short who made a quick tag to get the third out. In Canada's half of the inning, Jennifer Gilbert (Saskatoon, SK) had a drag single and Victoria Hayward hit a slap single as Gilbert went to third with some heads up base running. Gilbert scored on an Erika Polidori groundout to first as Gilbert beat the throw home.

In the fourth inning, Schreyer ran into some trouble. After getting the first out she issued a walk, allowed a single to right field and issued a second walk to load the bases. Karissa Hovinga relieved Schreyer with one out and the bases loaded and forced two infield pop ups to get out of the inning and leave Canada with a 4-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, Polidori reached base as she drilled a single off the Puerto Rican pitcher's glove. She moved to second on a passed ball and to third on an Affeldt groundout to second. Natalie Wideman hit a grounder to second and Polidori was thrown out at home trying to score. Wideman then stole second base before Thomas drew a walk to set up the Davidson walk off homerun.

Canada had seven hits with Davidson and Hayward leading the way with two each, including Davidson's home run. Gilbert, Polidori and Affeldt added singles.

For all tournament information, please visit the host website at http://jwwc2011.co.za or the Softball Canada website at http://www.softball.ca.

-SC-

For more information, please contact:

Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.ca