July2015

Team Canada Starts Canadian Open with Two Wins

July 8, 2015

Surrey, BC

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8th, 2015
 

Team Canada Starts Canadian Open with Two Wins


(Surrey, BC) The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team opened the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship with two wins on Tuesday, blanking the NJCAA All-Stars 5-0 before shutting out the Dominican Republic 11-0 in three innings on the run rule.
 
In the first game, Canadian pitcher Jenna Caira (Toronto, ON) and NJCAA All-Stars starter Destin Vicknair engaged in a solid pitcher’s duel through the first four innings. Team Canada got a two-out baserunner on an error in the top of the first, while the NJCAA All-Stars got a leadoff single and later a hit by pitch but Caira struck out the side. Both teams went down in order in the second, with Canada getting its first hit of the game on a two-out single by Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) in the third. NJCAA got two more baserunners on a single and a hit by pitch in the bottom of the frame but was once again unable to score.
 
In the fourth, Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON) hit a one-out single and stole second followed by a walk by Megan Gurski (Dalmeny, SK), but the next batter hit into a double play. The NJCAA All-Stars were retired in order as the game remained scoreless after four.
 
Team Canada broke through against Vicknair in the top of the fifth by scoring all five of their runs. Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, ON) got things going with a one-out double and advanced to third on a single by Logan White (Brantford, ON). White stole second before Lye lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Wideman. Megan Timpf (Port Dover, ON) pushed White in to score with a single and Jen Yee (North Delta, BC) also singled before Polidori smashed a two-run double. Gurski then singled to bring Polidori to the plate as Canada took the 5-0 lead.
 
In the sixth, Wideman drew a one-out walk followed by a single by White, but the two next batters were retired. Caira gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning but induced two ground balls and a fly out to keep the NJCAA All-Stars from scoring. Local call-up and Team Canada athlete pool member Kyla Benz (Surrey, BC) came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh, allowing a single and a walk but secured the shutout for Canada.
 
Box Score: Canada 5 vs. NJCAA All-Stars 0
 
Caira pitched six strong innings for Canada, allowing only three hits and striking out six, while Benz gave up a hit and a walk with one strikeout. Polidori had a double, a single and two runs batted in with White notching a pair of singles. Wideman added a double and Lye, Timpf, Yee and Gurski each contributed with a single.
 
Against the Dominican Republic, Canada opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the first. After two ground outs to start the game, Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON) drew a walk followed by a single by Polidori before Jenn Salling (Port Coquitlam, BC) hit a triple to bring both in to score.
 
Team Canada blew the game open with eight runs in the second. Gurski led off with a single and stole second before Timpf forced a walk. A single by Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, BC) loaded the bases before Yee brought Gurski in to score on a ground out. A single bye Lye brought Timpf and Franklin home, and she advanced to third on a wild pitch before Rafter walked. Polidori reached on a fielder’s choice with pinch-runner Chelsea Jenner (Abbotsford, BC) beating the throw to second to load the bases, and Salling singled to score another run. On the next play, the second baseman made a throwing error on a ground ball that she tried to throw to second and the ball got all the way to left field to allow all three runners to score and Sara Riske (Richmond, BC) to reach third. Riske scored a ground ball to shortstop by Gurski to increase the lead to 10-0. Canada added another run in the third as Carey-Leigh Thomas (Ohsweken, ON) reached second on a throwing error by the shortstop and later scored on a single by Polidori.
 
Box Score: Canada 11 vs. Dominican Republic 0
 
Jocelyn Cater (Delta, BC) pitched a three inning no-hitter for Canada with only one batter reaching on an error, and she struck out three batters. Salling led the way at the plate with a triple, a single and three runs batted in, with Polidori adding a pair of singles, drove in a run and scored twice. Lye, Gurski and Franklin each chipped in with a single.
 
Team Canada (2-0) will be back in action with a doubleheader later today when they take on Mexico (0-1) at 3:00pm PDT followed by Cuba (1-1) at 7:00pm PDT.


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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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