Canada Defeats Mexico in Pre-Worlds Exhibition Game

(Haarlem, Netherlands) The Canadian Senior Women’s National Team defeated Mexico by a score of 7-2 in an exhibition game prior to the beginning of the ISF Women’s World Championship in Haarlem, Netherlands. Mexico opened the scoring with a two-run homerun in the top of the first inning, but Canada was able to score seven unanswered runs for the win.
 
In the top of the first, Mexico got a two-out base runner on an error followed by a two-run homerun to take the early lead. However, Canada responded immediately with one run in the bottom of the inning as leadoff batter Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON) walked, was sacrificed to second by Megan Timpf (Port Dover, ON) and scored on a single by Jen Yee (North Delta, BC). A double by Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON) put runners on second and third, but the two next batters went down on a ground out and a fly out to keep the score at 2-1.
 
After a quick second inning, Mexico put two runners on base with a pair of infield singles in the top of the third but was not able to score, and Canada went on to score four runs to take the lead. Timpf led off with a walk and Yee reached base on a fielder’s choice with Timpf beating the throw to second, while Rafter doubled to left field to score Timpf and tie the game. An infield single by Megan Gurski (Dalmeny, SK) loaded the bases, and Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) later delivered a bases clearing double to centerfield to give Canada a 5-2 lead.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, pinch-hitter Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, BC) led off with a single and was replaced on the bases by Gurski who re-entered the game, followed by walks by Sara Hopwood (Richmond, BC) and Caitlin Lever (Buffalo, NY) to load the bases with no outs. The Mexicans got a strikeout and a fielder’s choice to the plate for two outs, but Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON) hit a two-run single to left field to increase Canada’s lead to 7-2. Mexico got a single in each of the sixth and seventh inning but was unable to score.
 
Jenna Caira (Toronto, ON) started the game in the pitcher’s circle for Canada, allowing two unearned runs and three hits with six strikeouts in three innings of work. Sara Plourde (Fredericton, NB) threw two perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts, while Karissa Hovinga (Edmonton, AB) closed out the last two inning allowing two hits with two strikeouts. Rafter had a pair of doubles for Canada while Yee collected a pair of singles, with other hits going to Polidori, Timpf, Gurski, Groenewegen, Lye and Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, BC).
 
Team Canada opens its ISF Women’s World Championship schedule against Puerto Rico at 7:30am EDT on Friday morning. Live scoring will be available on the event website at http://www.wcsoftball2014.com/en/home, with webstreaming available for purchase through http://isf.sportzcast.net/.

The event can also be followed on Facebook (World Championship Softball 2014) and Twitter (@WCSoftball2014).
 
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