Canada bounces back with win at III Pan American Softball Championship

[Al's Fastball News]

Junior Women's Pan American Championship III

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
August 9, 2010 

Canada bounces back with win at III Pan American Softball Championship


(Bogota, Colombia) The Canadian Junior Women's National Team
rebounded from a surprising first game loss to Brazil and scored
a come from behind 6-3 win over Argentina, who suffered their
first loss of the Pan American Championship in Bogota. 

Canada found themselves down 2-0 after the top of the first after
an error on a lead off bunt, an infield single and a double.
The red and white showed some resiliency as they answered right
back with two runs in the bottom of the first. With one out,
Victoria Hayward (Mountain View, California) and Jacqueline Omichinski
(Abbotsford, BC) both drew walks and with two out, Natasha Szlapetis
(Brampton, ON) drove a line drive to the gap in left field for
a stand up double and drove in Canada's first two runs. 

In the second inning, Canada got the first two outs but gave
up a single then committed their second error on a ground ball
to allow Argentina to score their third run. After two walks,
Argentina loaded the bases and Canada's starting pitcher Karissa
Hovinga (La Vista, Nebraska) was replaced by Natalie Becker (Waterloo,
ON) who promptly stopped the rally with a pop up to short. 

Canada answered back again in their half of the inning when Kristy
Noble (Uxbridge, ON) was safe advancing to second on an error
and scored to tie the game when Shannon Davidson (Whitby, ON)
hit a single to centerfield. Canada took the lead in the third
as Omichinski led off with a ground-rule double through the fence
and moved to third on a Katelyn Bedwell (White Rock, BC) sacrifice
bunt and scored when Szlapetis drove another line drive to left
field for a sacrifice fly. 

In the fourth, Becker got in trouble as she loaded the bases
with one out but settled down and struck out Argentina's third
and fourth hitters to end the threat. Canada finally put the
game away when they scored two more runs in the bottom of the
sixth when Kristy Noble led off the inning with an inside the
park homerun. With one out, Jennifer Gilbert (Mckinney, Texas)
singled and Victoria Hayward hit a slap off the third baseman's
glove and Gilbert was retired at second. Hayward stole second
and scored on Omichinski's second double of the game to put Canada
up by three. 

Becker closed the game as she gave up a leadoff walk and struck
out the side to end the game. 

Becker went five and a third innings and gave up two hits and
struck out seven in relief of Hovinga, who went one and two thirds
and gave up three hits and three runs with two strikeouts. 

Canada outhit Argentina as Omichinski led the way with a pair
of doubles, Davidson chipped in with two hits, Noble homered,
Szlapetis doubled with Gilbert, Bedwell and Natalie Wideman (Mississauga,
ON) adding singles. 

Canada is now 1-1 and will have the day off on Monday. They will
play the host team from Colombia on Tuesday at 4:00pm EDT. 

Tournament scores (updated at the end of each day) can be found
at the following website (in Spanish): http://festivaldeverano2010.idrd.gov.co/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=15&Itemid=178


-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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