Canada Runs Out of Energy Against USA

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 8/15/08 3:29:09 AM 
From:  "Gilles LeBlanc" <gleblanc at softball.ca> 

Subject:  Canada_Runs_Out_of_Energy_Against_USA_/_Le_Canada_perd_son
 :    

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FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE

August15, 2008

 

Canada Runs Out of Energy Against USA

 

(Beijing,China) – After holding the powerful Americans scoreless
for five inningsbetween yesterday’s rain-shortened game and this
morning’s continuation of thepreliminary game, the Canadian softball
team came out on the losing end of an8-1 decision. Three costly
errors in the top of the sixth inning led to fourAmerican runs,
and USA added four more in the seventh for good measure to takesole
possession of first place with a 4-0 record.

 

Aftera solid three up, three down inning that ended with Dione
Meier (Saskatoon, SK)striking out Jessica Mendoza in the first
inning yesterday, Canada opened thescoring in the bottom half
of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Melanie Matthews(Surrey,
BC) drove a pitch deep to centerfield that Caitlin Lowe was unable
tocatch, allowing Matthews to reach second. After Matthews advanced
to third onan illegal pitch and Erin McLean (Whitby, ON) walked,
Jennifer Yee (NorthDelta, BC) stroked a sacrifice fly to left
field to bring Matthews in to score.

 

Meierwas solid for Canada through three innings, but the game
was postponed in thetop of the fourth following heavy rain.

 

Whenthe game resumed earlier this morning, Canadian head coach
Lori Sippel(Stratford, ON) decided to go with the hot hand, entering
Lauren Bay Regula(Trail, BC) into the pitcher’s circle to attempt
to stave off the Americans.Bay Regula had just come off a complete
game shutout win over China, and wasstill riding that high. Regula
pitched the fourth and fifth innings for Canada,before Meier
re-entered the game she originally started in the sixth. 

 

Despitegetting the right pitches from Meier, Team Canada’s defence
committed threeerrors in the sixth, as Meier allowed four runs
on no hits. After retiring thefirst two hitters in the seventh,
Meier gave up four straight hits as theAmericans scored two more
runs. Robin Mackin (Newmarket, ON) came into the gameto get the
final out, but was tagged for a two-run single before she couldclose
out the half inning.

 

Thefinal line on Meier was eight runs (four earned) on five hits
and two walkswith one strikeout in four and two thirds innings.
Bay Regula walked twobatters and had one strikeout in two innings
of relief, while Mackin gave upone hit in a third of an inning.
At the plate, Canada only managed one hit, asingle by Sheena
Lawrick (Calgary, AB) off American pitcher Cat Osterman in thebottom
of the seventh. Osterman earned the win in the pitcher’s circle
aftercoming on in relief of starting pitcher Monica Abbott in
the fourth.

 

Despitethe loss, Canada is tied with Japan for second place in
the preliminary roundstandings with a 3-1 record. The red and
white will return to action Saturday,August 16th when they will
face Venezuela (0-3) at 7:30am EDT (liveon CBC, RDS).

 

-SC-

 

Formore information, contact:

 

GillesLeBlanc

Manager– Marketing and Communications

SoftballCanada

(613)523-3386 x. 3105

 

 

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