<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Softball Canada News Release</TITLE>
<META http-equiv='Content-Type' content='text/html; charset=iso-8859-1'>
<STYLE type='text/css'>
body,td,th { font-size: 13px;color: #000000;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;}
body { background-color: #FFFFFF;margin-left: 0px;margin-top: 0px;margin-right: 0px;margin-bottom: 0px;}
.leftcolumn1 {background-image:url(http://www.softball.ca/images/newsletter/left_bg.jpg);background-repeat:repeat-y}
.rightcolumn1 {background-image:url(http://www.softball.ca/images/newsletter/right_bg.jpg);background-repeat:repeat-y}
.content {background-color: #FFFFFF;}
.featured_news {font-size: 12px;color: #000000;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;}
a { font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #FF0000; text-decoration: none;}
a:hover { text-decoration: underline}
.unsubscribe { color: #000000; }
.unsubscribe a { font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; text-decoration: underline}
img { border: none; }
p { margin: 0px, 0px, 9px, 0px; }
</STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY><div>Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network</div><hr/><div><b>From: </b> "Softball Canada" <newsletter@softball.ca>
</div><div><b>Date: </b>Tue, 03 Jul 2012 01:49:30 -0400</div><div><b>To: </b>Al's Fastball News<Fastball@pmihrm.com></div><div><b>Subject: </b>Softball Canada Media Release / Communiqué de presse</div><div><br/></div>
<TABLE width='550' border='0' cellspacing='0' cellpadding='0'>
<TR>
<TD width='550' valign='top' colspan='3'><A href='http://www.softball.ca/'><IMG src='http://www.softball.ca/images/newsletter/header.jpg' border='0'></A></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD width='2' valign='top' class='leftcolumn1'><IMG src='http://www.softball.ca/images/newsletter/left_bg.jpg'></TD><TD width='546' valign='top' class='content'>
<BR>
<P align='center'><FONT color='red'><B>US World Cup of Softball VII - Bronze</B></FONT></P>
<P>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
<BR>July 3, 2012
<BR><BR>
<B>Canada wins Bronze with walk-off win over Netherlands at US World Cup of Softball VII</B>
<BR><BR>
(Oklahoma City, OK) The Canadian Women's National Team won its third consecutive game and earned a Bronze medal after starting the US World Cup of Softball VII with three losses, defeating the Netherlands 11-8 on Monday afternoon. The Netherlands had beaten Canada 7-6 in the preliminary round, and gave Canada all they could handle in this game before losing the game in the bottom of the seventh inning.
<BR><BR>
The red and white jumped out to an early lead by opening the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=373'>Joey Lye</a> (Toronto, ON) reached on an error, stole second base and later scored on a single by <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=270'>Kaleigh Rafter</a> (Guelph, ON). The following inning, Canada was able to increase the lead by scoring five runs, all with two outs. <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=354'>Victoria Hayward</a> (Toronto, ON) started the rally with a walk, <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=261'>Melanie Matthews</a> (Surrey, BC) singled and Lye forced a walk to load the bases. <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=312'>Jenn Yee</a> (North Delta, BC) then hit a line drive past the shortstop to bring two runs into score, and Rafter reached on an error to bring another run home. <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=267'>Sheena Lawrick</a> (Calgary, AB) then drove a double to centerfield to score two more runs and give Canada a commanding 6-0 lead.
<BR><BR>
However, the Netherlands cut the lead in half by scoring three runs in the top of the third on an RBI groundout and a two-run double. Canada would get one back in the bottom of the fourth when Matthews drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a groundout and scored on an error. The Netherlands chipped away with another run in the fifth, bringing the score to 7-4. After both teams were held scoreless in the sixth, the Netherlands fought back and put up four runs to take a late 8-7 lead, highlighted by an RBI double and an RBI single, as well as two runs scoring on an error.
<BR><BR>
Canada was able to come back in the seventh inning, setting the stage for the walk-off win. <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=353'>Kelsey Haberl</a> (Burnaby, BC) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=288'>Megan Timpf</a> (Port Dover, ON) singled. With two outs, Lye placed a perfect drag bunt down the first base line to tie the game, and Yee followed up by blasting a three-run homerun to right field to earn the walk-off 11-8 win and the Bronze medal.
<BR><BR>
<a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=361'>Jenna Caira</a> (Toronto, ON) started the game for Canada in the pitcher's circle, allowing eight runs (five earned) while scattering eight hits and two walks over six plus innings, and struck out six batters. <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=359'>Karissa Hovinga</a> (Edmonton, AB) came on in relief in the seventh and allowed a hit in an inning pitched. Offensively, Yee led the way with three hits and five runs batted in, while Lawrick and Matthews each added two hits.
<BR><BR>
Box Score and play by play: <a href='http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=103090'>Canada 11 vs. Netherlands 8</a>
<BR><BR>
In other action on Monday, the United States blanked Australia 3-0 to win the Gold medal. In the fifth versus six game, Puerto Rico defeated Brazil 4-1.
<BR><BR>
Team Canada will travel to Surrey, BC on Tuesday and will begin play at the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship against New Zealand on Wednesday (7:30pm PDT). The tournament will end on July 9th, and Canada will then make its way to Whitehorse for the ISF XIII Women's World Championship (July 13-22).
<BR><BR>
-SC-
<BR><BR>
For more information, please contact:
<BR><BR>
Gilles LeBlanc
<BR>Manager - Marketing and Communications
<BR>Softball Canada
<BR>(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
<BR>gleblanc@softball.ca</P>
</TD>
<TD width='2' valign='top' class='rightcolumn1'><IMG src='http://www.softball.ca/images/newsletter/right_bg.jpg'></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD width='550' valign='top' colspan='7'><IMG src='http://www.softball.ca/images/newsletter/footer.jpg' border='0'>
<P class='unsubscribe' align='center'>If you do not wish to receive this newsletter please <A href='http://www.softball.ca/unsubscribe.asp'>click here</A> to unsubscribe.</P>
<P class='unsubscribe' align='center'>Si vous ne désirez plus recevoir ce bulletin, <A href='http://www.softball.ca/unsubscribe.asp'>click here</A> pour vous désabonner.</P></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
</BODY></HTML>