FW: Softball Canada Media Release / Communiqué de presse

[Al's Fastball News]

ISF XII Women's World Championship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
June 27, 2010 

Japan edges Canada at World Softball Championship 

(Caracas, Venezuela) In a battle of undefeated teams, the Canadian
(4-0) and Japanese (4-0) Women's National Teams played to a hard
fought game. After scoring the go-ahead run in the bottom of
the fifth, Japan held on for the 2-1 win in a very solid defensive
game. The loss was Canada's first of the tournament, and they
are now tied for second place in Pool A with the Netherlands
with a 4-1 record. Canada will play South Africa (1-4) at 5:30pm
EDT on Monday, before closing the preliminary round against the
Netherlands on Tuesday. 

In a well-played game where both teams received quality pitching
and made several outstanding defensive plays. Canada had their
chances, but could not get a bounce and ended up dropping the
hard fought game. 

The first three innings went scoreless as Sheena Lawrick (Calgary,
AB) had the only hit for Canada and Canadian starting pitcher
Danielle Lawrie (Langley, BC) had only given up a double in the
third. Defensively, Caitlin Lever (Buffalo, New York) made a
great catch at the wall in centerfield as she had to go back
to get the ball a foot from the fence to end the first inning.


In the top of the fourth, Canada loaded the bases with one out.
Jenn Yee (North Delta, BC) led off the inning with a single to
center and was called out at second on a Lawrick sacrifice attempt.
Lawrie was hit by a pitch and replaced by pinch runner Evelyne
Pare (Ile-Perrot, QC). Jen Salling (Port Coquitlam, BC) then
singled to right, but the hit was too shallow to push Lawrick
in to score. With one out, Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON) struck
out, and Erin Cumpstone (Saskatoon, SK) struck out on a 3-2 pitch
after fouling off five pitches. 

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Japan
was able to score the first run of the game. Japan got a leadoff
single, a one out walk and with two out, a ground ball hit to
Canada's short stop Jen Salling took a bad hop and just missed
hitting Salling in the face, bouncing into left field to score
the first run. Lawrie then induced a fly out to left to end the
inning. 

Canada answered right back in the top of the fifth. With one
out, Melanie Mathews (Surrey, BC) singled with a line drive to
left field. Matthews moved to second on a slap out by Caitlin
Lever. Jenn Yee stepped up and hit a ground ball past the first
baseman into right field and Matthews beat a great throw from
right field to tie the game at one. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Lawrie was able to get the two first
outs, but gave up a double and an infield single that Salling
was able to keep from getting into the outfield and had no play.
With two strikes, Lawrie jammed the Japanese hitter, who managed
to get enough of the ball to bloop it over Salling's head into
left field. The first Japanese runner scored but centre fielder
Caitlin Lever threw out the second runner with a perfect throw
to the plate. 

Jenna Caira (Toronto, ON) replaced Lawrie and sat Japan down
in order in the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh, Matthews
hit a ground ball single to right field with two out. Lever ended
the game with a comebacker to the Japanese pitcher. 

Lawrie and Caira combined to give up six hits with one strikeout
and one walk. Yee and Mathews each had two hits, while Salling
and Lawrick added singles. 

In other action on Sunday, Chinese Taipei doubled Argentina 6-3,
the United States beat Australia 9-2, China blanked the Dominican
Republic 7-0, the Netherlands shut out South Africa 7-0, the
Czech Republic edged Botswana 5-4, Venezuela defeated New Zealand
5-2, and Cuba beat Great Britain 4-1. 

-SC- 

For more information, please contact: 

Gilles LeBlanc 
Manager - Marketing and Communications 
Softball Canada 
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105 
gleblanc at softball.ca

 Al's Fastball News
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