June2015

Team Canada Splits Doubleheader to Open US World Cup of Softball X

June 30, 2015

Irvine, CA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1st, 2015
 

Team Canada Splits Doubleheader
to Open US World Cup of Softball X

(Oklahoma City, OK) The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team opened its US World Cup of Softball X schedule with a 3-2 loss to Japan and followed by a 4-1 win over the United States Junior Women’s National Team. Against Japan, Team Canada battled back to tie the game on two occasions but Japan got a solo homerun in the bottom of the sixth to escape with the win, while the red and white scored two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to take the victory in the second game.

In the top of the first of game one, Jen Yee (North Delta, BC) hit a two-out single up the middle but the next batter ground out to leave her stranded at first. Japan was able to open the scoring in the bottom of the frame when the leadoff batter walked, advanced to second on a single by Nozomi Nagasaki and to third on a fielder’s choice before scoring on a single by Mikiko Eguchi. Both teams got two-out walks in the second inning but neither team was able to move those runners any further.

Canada responded with a run in the top of the third to tie the game. Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, BC) led off with a single with a line drive to left field and moved up to third on an error on a ground ball to second base by Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON) to put runners on the corners with no outs. After a strikeout, Yee chopped a single over the third baseman allowing Franklin to cross the plate. After a pop out in foul territory for the second out, Jenn Salling (Port Coquitlam, BC) hit a line drive that was caught by a diving second baseman to end the inning. Canadian pitcher Jenna Caira (Toronto, ON) retired Japan in order on three ground balls as the game remained tied at 1-1 after three innings of play.

In the fourth, Canada managed another two-out walk but a ground out ended their half of the inning, and Japan took the lead in the bottom of the inning by getting a one-out single with the runner being sacrificed to second before scoring on an error on a ground ball to shortstop. Canada responded immediately by producing the tying run in the top of the fifth. Hayward led off with a single to right field, was sacrificed to second by Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) and moved up to third on a ground ball to first by Yee before scoring on a single up the middle by Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON). Jocelyn Cater (Delta, BC) came on in relief of Caira in the bottom of fifth and struck out the side.

Team Canada got a leadoff walk by Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON) in the sixth. After failing to sacrifice her to second, Polidori later stole second with two outs and moved up to third on an infield single by Franklin, followed by a walk by Hayward to load the bases. However, the next batter hit a deep fly ball to right field for the third out to keep the game tied. After Cater struck out the first batter in the bottom of the sixth, Yamato Fujita hit a solo homerun just over the left-center field fence as Japan took a late 3-2 lead. Canada was unable to get anything going in the top of the seventh as Japan won the game.

Box Score: Japan 3 vs. Canada 2

Caira allowed two runs – both unearned – on three hits and two walks to go along with one strikeout in four innings of work. Cater was the hard-luck losing pitcher, allowing only a solo homerun and a walk while striking out five in two innings of relief. Offensively, Yee had a pair of singles and drove in a run with Franklin also collecting two singles. Hayward and Rafter also each had a single for Canada, who outhit Japan 6-4 in the game.

After a rain delay and extra innings in the previous game of the day between Venezuela and Argentina, Canada’s second game against the United States Junior Women’s National Team started a little under two hours later than scheduled. Both teams were sat down in order in each of the first two innings before USA got the first hit of the game with two outs in the top of the third, but the next batter popped out. In the bottom of the frame, Canada got back-to-back singles by Franklin and Hayward with two outs, with Franklin moving up to third on an error on Hayward’s bunt single. Hayward stole second base, but the next batter struck out looking to leave two runners in scoring position.

The USA Juniors got on the board with a solo homerun with one out in the fourth, and Canada got a leadoff single to left field by Yee later followed by a walk by Salling. The runners moved up on a wild pitch, but a ground out to third froze them followed by another ground out to short to leave both runners stranded. The United States went down in order in the top half of the fifth, and Canada was able to score two runs to take the lead. Franklin doubled over the third baseman on a line drive that caught a piece of the line with one out and advanced to third on a bunt single by Hayward, then scored when Lye lifted a sacrifice fly ball to centerfield. Yee then singled to left to drive in Hayward from second as Canada took a 2-1 lead.

The Americans got a leadoff single to start the sixth, but was unable to move the runner any further. In the bottom of the frame, Salling led off with a single, was sacrificed to second by Carey-Leigh Thomas (Ohsweken, ON) and scored on a single to left by Polidori, who advanced to second on the throw to the plate. Megan Gurski (Dalmeny, SK) followed with a single to left of her own to score Polidori and give Canada the 4-1 lead. The USA Junior Women’s National Team went down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.

Box Score: Canada 4 vs. USA Junior Women’s National Team 1

Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, BC) started in the circle for Canada, holding the USA Juniors to one run on two hits and a walk, striking out three batters in four innings pitched. Karissa Hovinga (Edmonton, AB) pitched the last three innings in relief, giving up only one hit and retiring two batters on strikes. Hayward, Yee and Franklin all went 2-for-3 for Team Canada, with other hits going to Salling, Polidori and Gurski.

Team Canada (1-1) will be back in action with a doubleheader on Canada Day, taking on Mexico (0-2) at 9:00am PDT followed by Puerto Rico (2-0) at 2:00pm PDT. Live scoring and web streaming is available through USA Softball’s website.

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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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