Junior Women’s National Team
Wins Gold at Canadian Open!

(Surrey, BC) The Canadian Junior Women’s National Team earned the Gold medal in the Futures Gold division of the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship. Team Canada reached the Championship game by defeating the White Rock Renegades 97 by a score of 2-1 on Saturday, and blanked the Delta Heat 97 team 7-0 on Sunday to win the Gold medal.
 
Against the White Rock Renegades on Saturday, Canada opened the scoring in the top of the first when Kelsey Jenkins (Delta, BC) led off with a walk, was sacrificed to second by Courtney Gilbert (Delhi, ON) and advanced to third on a ground out before scoring on a single to left by Holly Speers (Surrey, BC) as the red and white manufactured the first run of the game. The Renegades did not waste any time getting that run back, as they hit three consecutive two-out singles to score the tying run.
 
From that point on, Canadian pitcher Madison Clarke (Edmonton, AB) took over, retiring the Renegades in order over the next five innings with only one small blemish, a two-out single in the fifth that was quickly retired when the runner was caught stealing. On the other side of the field, Team Canada threatened to score in each inning but was unable to get the timely hits. In the second, Callum Pilgrim (Abbotsford, BC) hit a one-out single and was sacrificed to second. A pair of walks loaded the bases, but a fly out to left kept Canada from scoring.
 
The following inning, Canada got two runners on base on a hit by pitch and a single by Alisha Welch (Langley, BC) with one out, but the two next batters grounded into fielder’s choices. Jenkins managed a two-out single in the fourth but was left stranded, while Speers and Welch hit back-to-back singles with one out in the fifth but were also left on base after a pair of fly outs to centerfield.
 
Team Canada was finally able to capitalize by scoring the winning run in the top half of the seventh. Gilbert led off with a single to left and was sacrificed to second, but after a walk by Maude Sigouin (Laval, QC), she was retired on a fielder’s choice. Brielle McCullough (Saskatoon, SK) followed up with a single to center to score Sigouin from second to plate the winning run. The Renegades got a leadoff double in the bottom half of the seventh and sacrificed the runner to third, but Clarke got a big strikeout for the second out and got the next batter to ground out to third to end the game.
 
Clarke only allowed one run on five hits and three strikeouts, inducing many ground outs that were properly fielded by her defence. Jenkins had a single and three walks at the plate, with Speers hitting a pair of singles and driving in a run and McCullough driving in the winning run with a single. Welch contributed two singles, with other hits going to Gilbert and Pilgrim.
 
In the Championship game on Sunday, Team Canada got on the board first again as Jenkins drew a leadoff walk, was sacrificed to second by Gilbert, and after two walks by Speers and Welch loaded the bases, Taylor Lundrigan (Abbotsford, BC) hit a two-run single to left. Looking to respond, the Delta Heat got two singles to start the second but the next batter hit into a double play followed by a strikeout. In the bottom of the frame, Becki Monaghan (Spruce Grove, AB) led off with a walk but was retired on a fielder’s choice by Ashley Penney (Victoria, BC), and the next batter reached on a fielder’s choice with Penney beating out the throw to second. After a strikeout for the second out, Emma Entzminger (Victoria, BC) hit a two-run triple to right-center field followed by a walk to Speers before Welch delivered a two-run double as Canada built a 6-0 lead.
 
The pitching took over from there, as Canada’s Madison Hope (Winnipeg, MB) sat the Heat down in order in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings and only allowed a two-out single in the top of the sixth. Team Canada put the game away on the run rule in the bottom of the sixth when Jenkins got a leadoff walk and scored on a double by Entzminger.
 
Hope earned the six inning shutout win for Canada, allowing only three hits and striking out seven. Entzminger led the way offensively with a triple, a double, a single and three runs batted in, while Welch had a two-run double. Jenkins reached four times on three walks and a fielder’s choice, with Speers also walking twice. Lundrigan chipped in with two singles.
 
The Junior Women’s National Team will now return home to their club teams for a few weeks before re-convening in Brampton, ON for a training camp on July 30 prior to travelling to Oklahoma City, OK to compete at the WBSC Junior Women’s World Softball Championship from August 9-15.