FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2012

Canada Wins First Two Playoff Games at AAU Men's International Fastpitch Tournament

(Lake Buena Vista, Florida) The Canadian Men's Development Team won their two first playoff games at the AAU Men's International Fastpitch Tournament with a pair of 12-0 run-rule wins against the Niagara Fury and Los Socios. Team Canada will now play at 9:00am EST on Championship Sunday.

Canada scored four runs in each of the first three innings to run-rule the Niagara Fury. Tyson Barkman (Abbotsford, BC) faced only nine batters and did not allow a hit while striking out six to pick up the win.

Canada got on the board in the first inning by scoring four runs. Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, QC) was hit by a pitch and Brandon Horn (Waterloo, ON) moved him over to second with a sacrifice bunt. Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, PEI) hit the first pitch he saw up the middle to score Roy. Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, BC) beat out a bouncer to shortstop to put runners on first and second, and Jason Hill (St. John's, NL) drew a walk to load the bases. Blair Ezekiel (Harbour Main, NL) lined a pitch to center field to score Ellsworth and Mayson, while Hill advanced to third. Hill then scored Canada's fourth run on a wild pitch. Jeremy Tracy (Waterville, NB) then drew a walk and Ryan Boland (St. John's, NL) beat out a high hopper to shortstop to load the bases. However, the next two batters were retired to end the inning.

In the second, Horn got things going with a single on another infield hit and Ellsworth was safe on a nice drag bunt down the first base line. Mayson then grounded a ball through the left side of the infield for a single to score Horn. Hill followed with a single to left to score Ellsworth and moved Mayson over to third. Mayson scored on a wild pitch before Ezekiel grounded through the left side to score Hill.

Canada produced their third four-run inning in the third. They quickly loaded the bases as Roy walked, Horn singled to left and Mayson was hit by a pitch before Jason Hill followed with deep homerun to center field for a grand slam.

Ezekiel collected three singles with Hill adding a homerun and a single. Horn, Ellsworth and Mayson added two hits each with Boland adding one to the 12-hit Canada attack.

In the second game against Los Socios, Canada banged out 12 hits including four homeruns and a triple as Derek Mayson and Tyson Barkman combined in the pitcher`s circle to allow two hits with seven strikeouts to shut out the Venezuelans.

Canada got some good defense in the top of the first as Adam Hiller (Elmira, ON) made a great play on the leadoff batter, and with two outs and a runner on second, Hiller went into the hole at shortstop and made a strong throw to get the third out at first base. Canada put up six runs in their half of the first as Mathieu Roy led off with a drag bunt single, Mark Johnson laid down a bunt and was safe at first as the pitcher hesitated on his throw. Jeff Ellsworth then lined a triple to the right-center field fence to score Roy and Johnson. Derek Mayson then hit a two-run homerun to left-center. Jason Hill got things going again with a single up the middle, and Blair Ezekiel grounded out to first, moving Hill over to second. Adam Hiller beat out an infield hit to shortstop and Jason Sanford (Durham, NS) drew a walk to load the bases. Brennan Pokoyoway hit a ground ball back up the middle to score two more runs to bring the score to 6-0.

Canada then added five more runs in the second to go ahead 11-0. Ellsworth led the inning off with a blast to right-center for a homerun. With one out, Ezekiel lined a double to right field and Canada got the bases loaded with walks to Hiller and Sanford. After Ezekiel scored, Pokoyoway cleared the bases with a three-run homerun that went into the trees in right field.

Canada did not score in the bottom of the third but Ezekiel led off the bottom of the fourth with a homerun to center field to end the game.

Four players had two hits each. Ellsworth had a homerun and a triple, Ezekiel a homerun and a double while Mayson and Pokoyoway had a homerun and a single. Roy, Johnson, Hill and Hiller each chipped in with a single. Sanford drew two walks.

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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