Team Canada Improves to 2-0 at ISF Women’s
World Softball Championship

(Haarlem, Netherlands) The Canadian Senior Women’s National Team improved its preliminary round record to 2-0 at the ISF XIV Women’s World Championship with an 8-1 run rule win over the Czech Republic. The Czechs opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second, but Canada responded with one in the bottom of the frame and added five runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth for the win.
 
Canadian starting pitcher Sara Plourde (Fredericton, NB) struck out the side in the top of the first inning, and Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON) led off the bottom half of the inning with a walk. She was sacrificed to second by Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) and moved up to third on a ground out by Jen Yee (North Delta, BC), but the next batter grounded out to end the inning. In the top of the second, the Czech Republic got a leadoff double to left-center field by Ludmila Broukalova, and she was sacrificed to third and went on to score on a ground out to second to open the scoring. That lead proved to be short-lived, as Canada got it right back in the bottom of the frame. Sara Hopwood (Richmond, BC) hit a two-out single and scored on a double to deep left-center field by Jenny Gilbert (Saskatoon, SK). Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, BC) followed up with a single over the third baseman to put runners on the corners, and Hayward found the hole on the right side of the infield but the ball hit the runner going to second for the third out.                 
 
Plourde retired the Czechs in order again before Yee reached with a one-out single in the bottom of the third. After a fly out to right, Megan Gurski (Dalmeny, SK) reached on a fielder’s choice as Yee beat the throw to second on a ground ball to shortstop. However, a groundout kept Canada from scoring with the game tied 1-1 after three innings. Plourde induced three groundouts to sit the Czech Republic down in order in the fourth, and Canada was able to break the deadlock with five runs in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Gilbert was hit by a pitch and Franklin singled through the left side of the infield with both runners moving up on a wild pitch. After a pop out on the infield for the second out, Lye dropped a drag bunt single to load the bases, and Yee tripled inside the right field line to clear the bases before scoring on a two-run homerun by Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON) as Canada took a 6-1 lead.
 
In the top of the fifth, Plourde struck out the first batter but issued a walk followed by a single to put two runners on base. Karissa Hovinga (Edmonton, AB) came on in relief and induced a pair of groundouts to get Canada out of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Carey-Leigh Thomas (Ohsweken, ON) singled down the left field line and scored a triple to right-center field gap by Hopwood, followed by a double by pinch hitter Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON) to end the game on the run rule.
 
Box Score: Canada 8 vs. Czech Republic 1
 
Plourde earned the win in the pitcher’s circle for Canada, allowing one run on two hits and a walk with five strikeouts in four inning and a third of work, while Hovinga came in to get the two final outs. Yee and Hopwood each had a triple and a single for Canada, and Rafter had a two-run homerun. Franklin added a pair of singles, with other hits going to Hayward, Lye, Thomas, Gilbert and Polidori.
 
In the late scores at the ISF Women’s World Championship yesterday, the Czech Republic doubled Cuba 6-3, New Zealand defeated Russia 5-1 and the United States blanked the Netherlands 10-0. In earlier action on Saturday, China shut out Puerto Rico 1-0, the United States beat Botswana 7-0, Japan defeated Russia 5-0, Chinese Taipei outlasted the Netherlands 5-4 in 11 innings, Cuba blanked New Zealand 1-0, and the Dominican Republic defeated Great Britain 14-6.
 
Team Canada (2-0) will be back in action when they take on New Zealand (1-1) at 2:00pm EDT on Sunday. 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
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