News
July2015

Team Canada Opens WBSC Men's World Softball Championship Playoff Round with Big Win over Australia

July 4, 2015

Saskatoon, SK

 

Team Canada Opens WBSC Men's World Softball Championship Playoff Round with Big Win over Australia

The following is a media release issued by Softball Canada.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 4th, 2015
 

Team Canada Opens Playoff Round
with Big Win over Australia


(Saskatoon, SK) The Canadian Men’s National Team opened the playoff round of the WBSC Men’s World Softball Championship with a big 8-3 win over Australia. The Aussies took an early 2-0 lead but Canada fought back to tie the game before Jason Hill (St. John’s, NL) later hit a tie-breaking three-run homerun that fuelled the Canadian bats as they produced eight runs on seven hits against Australian pitcher Adam Folkard, who is widely considered the best pitcher in the World.
 
Australia jumped on Canada early as Zenon Winters singled on the first pitch of the game and advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a double to right-center field by Mark Harris, followed by a run-scoring single by Nick Shailes to take a quick 2-0 lead. Canadian starting pitcher Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, NL) settled in and got the next batter to ground into a fielder’s choice followed by a pair of strikeouts. Looking to respond right away in the bottom of the inning, Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, QC) put some pressure on the Australian defence on a ground ball to shortstop and the first baseman couldn’t handle the throw, allowing Roy to move up to second. After Folkard got the next two batters to pop up and strike out, Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, NL) singled off the diving shortstop’s glove to bring Roy in to score.
 
After Cleary retired Australia in order on two strikeouts and a ground out to first, Canada got a one-out walk by Ian Fehrman (Townsend, ON) but Folkard struck out the next two batters to leave him stranded at first. Australia chopped a leadoff infield single over third but the sacrifice bunt attempt was popped up for an out. A walk put two runners on base and both moved up on a wild pitch, but Cleary got a pair of big strikeouts to leave them on base. Roy led off with a great drag bunt single in front of the plate and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but was tagged out after being chased down by the second baseman on a ground ball to the middle of the infield. Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, PEI) then hit a solid ground ball that got by the shortstop to put runners on the corners with one out, and Brad Ezekiel (Harbour Main, NL) scored from third on a passed ball to tie the game. The two next batters struck out to end the inning.
 
In the top of the fourth, Cleary got a ground out and two strike outs to keep Australia off the bases, and Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, BC) drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom if the frame. A ground ball to second moved him up to second and another ground ball for an out off of Folkard’s leg moved him up to third, but the next batter also grounded out to end the inning. Cleary got the first two batters of the fifth on a strikeout and a groundout but the next batter reached on an error and got to second on the play, but the next batter flew out to right. Roy led off with a walk and advanced to second on a third strike passed ball, followed by another walk to Ellsworth to put two runners on base. The next batter struck out for the second out before Hill crushed a three-run shot deep over the right field fence to give Canada a 5-2 lead. Mayson followed up with a double, but the next batter grounded out.
 
Cleary walked the first batter he faced in the sixth, but got a strikeout, a pop out in foul territory at first base and a ground ball to shortstop to keep the three-run lead intact. Ryan Boland (Goulds, NL) led off the bottom of the frame with a single, followed by a walk to pinch-hitter Andy Skelton (Scarborough, ON) with both being replaced by pinch runners. Roy sacrificed the runners over to second and third before Ezekiel singled to left to score Bryan Abrey (Richmond, BC). Ezekiel stole second on a pitch in the dirt and Ellsworth walked to load the bases with one out before Mullaley lined a pitch into right field for a two-run single. A hit by pitch to Hill loaded the bases and forced Folkard out of the game, but a strikeout and a ground out ended the inning. Cleary got a ground out and a strikeout to start the seventh. An infield single and a hit by pitch put two runners on base and a single scored Australia’s third run of the game, but Cleary put the game away with a strikeout to end the game.
 
Box Score: Canada 8 vs. Australia 3
 
Cleary picked up the complete game win for Canada, allowing three runs while scattering seven hits and two walks and fanning 12 Australian hitters. Hill had the big three-run homerun, while Mullaley had a pair of singles and drove in two runs. Mayson contributed a double, with singles going to Roy, Ezekiel and Boland.
 
With the win, Team Canada guaranteed a medal at the event and they will take on New Zealand at 5:30pm CST on Saturday in the game between the two teams with two lives remaining. The winner of that game will earn a direct berth in the Gold medal game, while the losing team will need to earn its spot back after playing the team that emerges from the remaining playoff games.
 
In other Championship Round playoff scores, Japan eliminated the Czech Republic with an 8-3 win and Venezuela eliminated Argentina by defeating them 5-1. New Zealand shut out the Dominican Republic 8-0 in six innings to earn another matchup with Team Canada on Saturday.
 
Australia will face Japan in Saturday’s first elimination game at 12:30pm CST, followed by the Dominican Republic against Venezuela at 3:00pm CST. The winning teams of those two games will square off at 8:00pm CST to determine who advances to the Bronze medal game to face the losing team of the game between Canada and New Zealand.
 
In Placement Round scores, Great Britain edged the Netherlands 3-2, Guatemala defeated Denmark 3-1 and Mexico blanked the Philippines 7-0 in six innings. Mexico will face Great Britain in one semi-final at 10:00am CST at Bob Van Impe Stadium while the United States will take on Guatemala in the other, also scheduled for 10:00am CST at Gordie Howe Park. The two winners will square off for the title of Placement Series Champion.
 
The tournament website can be found at http://www.2015isfmensworldsoftball.ca/, with Sportscanada.tv webstreaming available at http://sportscanada.tv/worldsoftball/ and Pointstreak live scoring at http://wbscmens.bbstats.pointstreak.com/. The event can also be followed on Facebook (2015 ISF Men’s Worlds) and Twitter (@ISFMens2015). Also make sure to check out Champ’s Chatter – the official newsletter of the 2015 WBSC Men’s World Softball Championship – with a new issue published daily at http://www.2015isfmensworldsoftball.ca//english/media/champs-chatter.html!
 
How to Follow Team Canada
Softball Canada Website: http://www.softball.ca
Twitter: @SoftballCanada
Facebook: 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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