Team Canada Opens ISF Women’s World Softball Championship with Hard-Fought Win 

(Haarlem, Netherlands) The Canadian Senior Women’s National Team opened their ISF Women’s World Softball Championship schedule with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Puerto Rico. After opening the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning, Canada allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the third before tying the game in the sixth and scoring the winning run on a bases loaded single by Caitlin Lever (Buffalo, NY) in the top of the seventh to earn the victory.
 
Canada did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard in the top of the first, as Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON) was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout before later scoring on a double to right field by Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON). Puerto Rico got a leadoff single off Canadian starting pitcher Jenna Caira (Toronto, ON) in the bottom of the first but the next batter grounded into a fielder’s choice, followed by a strikeout and throw to second to catch the runner stealing to end the inning.
 
In the second, Carey-Leigh Thomas (Ohsweken, ON) led off with a single but was caught stealing and Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) dropped a two-out bunt single, but the next batter grounded out to end the inning. Puerto Rico managed a two-out single in the bottom of the frame but she was left stranded on first. Canada kept the pressure on with a one-out single to left-center field by Megan Timpf (Port Dover, ON) but the two next batter went down on a fly out in foul territory and a groundout. In the bottom of the frame, Puerto Rico was able to get to Caira by taking a 2-1 lead. The leadoff batter drew a walk and moved up to second on a groundout before scoring on a double by Aisha Figueroa followed by a bunt single to put runners on the corners, and a single down the left field line allowed the second run to score.
 
Megan Gurski (Dalmeny, SK) led off the top of the fourth with a single through the left side of the infield and after a fly out, Lever singled, with both runners moving up on a ground out to first base. However, the next batter flew out to left to end the threat. After Puerto Rico went down quickly in order on two fly outs and a strikeout, Canada got another leadoff single by Sara Hopwood (Richmond, BC), but a fielder’s choice retired her at second and the two following batters were retired to keep the game at 2-1 for Puerto Rico.
 
Pitcher Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, BC), who had replaced Caira in the third inning, sat the Puerto Ricans down in order again in the bottom of the fifth before Team Canada was able to put some hits together to tie the game. Lever hit a one-out single to center followed by a single through the right side of the infield by Lye, and after a pop out on the infield for the second out, Hayward delivered a single through the right side as well to push Lever in to score and knot the game at 2-2.
 
In the top of the seventh, Jen Yee (North Delta, BC) led off with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and Rafter hit a hard ground ball off the third baseman for a single to put runners on the corners, which brought on a pitching change for Puerto Rico. A groundout moved Rafter up to second and Thomas was intentionally walked to load the bases before Lever lined a single past the third baseman to score a run and give Canada the 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Puerto Rico got a leadoff single passed a diving shortstop, and after a bunt attempt was popped up to the pitcher, the runner stole second. The following hitter lined out to shortstop and Groenewegen got a big strikeout to end the game.
 
Box Score: Canada 3 vs. Puerto Rico 2
 
Caira pitched two and a third innings for Canada, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two. Groenewegen earned the win in relief, limiting Puerto Rico to only two hits and a walk and struck out six batters in four innings and two thirds. Lever was the hero at the plate for Canada by going three-for-four with a run scored and the game-winning hit. Rafter hit a double and a single and drove in a run, while Hayward had a single, a run scored and a run batted in and Lye had a pair of hits. Timpf, Hopwood, Gurski and Thomas all registered a single as Canada notched 12 hits.
 
In other earlier scores at the ISF Women’s World Championship, Australia scored a couple of early runs and held on for a 2-1 win over Chinese Taipei, and Yukiko Ueno fired a no-hitter and was only a walk away from a perfect game as Japan blanked China 4-0. Italy also got by the Dominican Republic by a score of 3-2, and Botswana surprised Great Britain with a 5-3 win.
 
Team Canada (1-0) will be back in action when they take on the Czech Republic at 1:00pm EDT on Saturday. 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).
 
How to Follow Team Canada
Softball Canada Website: http://www.softball.ca
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SoftballCanada
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SoftballCanadaNSO