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Canada Opens ISF Men's World Championship with Extra Inning Win over Argentina

March 1, 2013

Auckland, NZ

ISF XIII Men's World Championship - Game 1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 1, 2013
Canada Opens ISF Men's World Championship with Extra Inning Win over Argentina
(Auckland, New Zealand) The Canadian Men's National Team opened its ISF XIII Men's World Championship schedule with a thrilling come-from-behind 2-1 win over Argentina in nine innings. The Argentineans took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and the pitching cruised through the next five innings before Canada tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. After surviving a scare in the bottom of the eighth, Canada took advantage of a costly mistake by pitcher Lucas Mata to score a run, and left a runner stranded at third to end the game in the bottom of the ninth inning.


In the top of the first, Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, QC) hit a one-out single, but was stranded on first base. Argentina got things going quickly in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff single, followed by a sacrifice bunt to move the runner ahead to second. The next batter then singled to score the first run of the ball game, with Argentina taking a 1-0 lead after one inning of play.


After Team Canada went down in order in the second, Argentina once again put the leadoff batter on base with a single, but a strikeout, a fielder's choice and a fly out left the runner on first. In the top of the third, Brandon Horn (Waterloo, ON) laced a one-out double, but was caught sliding past second base for the second out. Both teams could not get much going offensively until the top of the fifth, when Bryan Abrey (Richmond, BC) reached on a one-out single, but Canada was unable to move him any further on the base paths.

 


The pitching continued to be the story of the game until the bottom of the sixth inning, as the leadoff batter singled and advanced to second by tagging up on a fly ball to left field, but a pair of groundouts got Canada out of the inning still down by one heading into the final inning. In the top of the seventh, Brad Ezekiel (Harbour Main, NL) got things going with a leadoff single, advanced to second on a ground out to second base and then to third on a wild pitch. Abrey then stepped up with a clutch single down the third base line to score Ezekiel and tie the game.


Argentina threatened to win the game in the bottom of the seventh by cracking a leadoff double, but Canadian pitcher Sean Whitten (Calgary, AB) struck out the next three batters to push the game into extra innings. With a runner starting on second base due to the international tie-breaker rule, Canada hit into a ground out and two pop outs on the infield to head to the bottom of the eighth. With a runner once again starting on second base, the red and white issued an intentional walk to create the force out possibility, followed by a sacrifice bunt to move the runners ahead to second and third. After another intentional walk to load the bases with one out, Whitten struck out the two following hitters, with the last one being dropped by the catcher who promptly stepped on the plate to send the game to a ninth inning with the score still tied 1-1.


In the top of the ninth, Roy started on second base and came in to score when a ground ball to the pitcher by Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, PEI) was thrown away, allowing Ellsworth to race around the bases all the way to third. A pair of strikeouts and a fly out left him at third, but Canada took a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. The runner on second base quickly advanced to third on a passed ball, but Whitten struck out the next batter, got a ground out to third base to freeze the runner and forced a ground out to shortstop to end the game.


Both teams only managed five hits against the opposing pitchers, as Canada was led by Abrey who had two singles and a run batted in. Roy, Ezekiel and Horn notched the other Canadian hits. In the pitcher's circle, Don Scott (Stratford, ON) started the game and pitched two innings, allowing a run on three hits and striking out two. Paul Koert (Brooklin, ON) came on in relief to start the third inning and pitched three and a third innings of scoreless relief, allowing only one hit and striking out six. Whitten replaced Koert in the bottom of the sixth with a runner on second base and one out, and threw the final three and two third innings, allowing a hit and retiring six batters on strikes to earn the win.
Box Score and Play-By-Play: Canada 2 vs. Argentina 1 (9 innings)


Team Canada (1-0) will take on the Philippines (0-1) at 11:00pm EST on Friday night on Diamond 1.

 


In other earlier tournament scores

, Samoa edged Great Britain 2-0;

Colombia doubled the Philippines 4-2;

the Czech Republic powered past Indonesia 10-3;

Japan blanked the Netherland 7-0; and

Venezuela shut out South Africa 6-0.

Late games include two good matchups, as the defending champions from Australia play the United States, while host New Zealand takes on Mexico.

 


Live Streaming All games on Diamond 1 are streamed LIVE All games on Diamond 2 are available ON DEMAND


All live streaming is a pay to access service for the cost of $10 USD per day. Details are available at the official tournament website: http://www.softball2013.com/

 


iscore - Live Scoring Updates iscore Softball is the easiest way to track the Tradestaff ISF Men's World Softball Championships. It has everything you need to track and review a game and does not require you to buy any software - this free service will be available at the following link:

www.softball.org.nz/Tradestaff+WSC+2013+Results.html


How to Follow Team Canada

Softball Canada Website: http://www.softball.ca

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SoftballCanada

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SoftballCanadaNSO

 


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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

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