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<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>Sat, 07 Jul 2012 01:26:39 -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>
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<P align='center'><FONT color='red'><B>Canadian open Fastpitch International Championship - Day 3</B></FONT></P>
<P>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
<BR>July 6, 2012
<BR><BR>
<B>Team Canada earns two wins at Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship</B>
<BR><BR>
(Surrey, BC) The Canadian Women's National Team was able to earn two come-from-behind victories at the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship on Friday to improve its record to 3-1. Team Canada started the day by coming back from a 4-2 deficit after six innings to defeat Venezuela 5-4 in eight innings, and trailed 2-0 to Australia after three innings but put up five runs in the bottom of the fourth and held on for a 5-3 win.
<BR><BR>
In the first game, Venezuela opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when the leadoff batter walked, advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored on a single just past a diving <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=373'>Joey Lye</a> (Toronto, ON) at shortstop. After quick second and third innings, Canada threatened to tie the game in the top of the fourth. Lye hit a leadoff single, but was retired at second on a fielder's choice. <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=270'>Kaleigh Rafter</a> (Guelph, ON) then walked, but another fielder's choice and a strikeout ended the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Venezuela was able to string together three consecutive one-out singles to score their second run, and added another on a two-out single to take a 3-0 lead after four innings of play.
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Team Canada would get right back into the game by scoring two runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=387'>Natalie Wideman</a> (Mississauga, ON) was hit by a pitch and <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=354'>Victoria Hayward</a> (Toronto, ON) walked, and they advanced to second and third on a ground out to second base. Lye then singled to score both runners and trim the lead to 3-2. However, Venezuela was able to get one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single.
<BR><BR>
Trailing by two runs in the top of the seventh, Canada was able to score twice to tie the game. Wideman led off the inning with a walk, but the two next batters grounded into fielder's choices. <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=351'>Jenny Gilbert</a> (Saskatoon, SK) pinch ran for <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=353'>Kelsey Haberl</a> (Burnaby, BC), then Lye singled and <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=312'>Jenn Yee</a> (North Delta, BC) walked to load the bases. Rafter then delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single to score Gilbert and Lye, tying the game at 4-4. Venezuela started the bottom of the seventh with a pair of walks, and Canada called upon <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=668'>Marina Demore</a> (Richmond, BC) to come out in relief and forced a fly out to first base and the next batter grounded into a double play to push the game to extra innings.
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With a runner beginning on second base due to the international tie-breaker rule, Canada hit into two quick outs before Hayward hit an RBI single, giving Canada a 5-4 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the first batter was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second before Demore forced a pair of fly outs. After a walk loaded the bases, Demore induced yet another fly out to centerfield to end the game.
<BR><BR>
<a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=504'>Madison Schreyer</a> (Winnipeg, MB) started in the pitcher's circle for Canada, and allowed three runs on six hits and a walk in four innings pitched. <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=361'>Jenna Caira</a> (Toronto, ON) then came in to pitch the fifth and sixth innings, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts, and also allowed two walks to begin the seventh before being replaced by Demore. She did a great job in earning the win, holding Venezuela hitless and scoreless in two innings pitched.
<BR><BR>
At the plate, Lye had yet another impressive game for Team Canada, going three-for-four with two runs batted in. Rafter and Hayward each added an RBI single, while <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=267'>Sheena Lawrick</a> (Calgary, AB) and Yee also chipped in with a hit each.
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Box score and play by play: <a href='http://fastpitch.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=103220'>Canada 5 vs. Venezuela 4 (8 innings)</a>
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In the second game against Australia, the Aussies opened the scoring after leadoff batter Stacey Porter reached on a strikeout that eluded the catcher, was sacrificed to second, stole third and scored on a single. In the bottom of the inning, <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=261'>Melanie Matthews</a> (Surrey, BC) led off with an infield single and Lye continued her hot hitting with a single to left field. However, the next batter popped a bunt in the air and Lye was doubled off at first, and the next batter grounded out to end the inning.
<BR><BR>
After a quick second inning, Australia was on the offensive in the top of the third. After a leadoff walk, the next batter hit a ground ball to third that was thrown away at second base putting runners on the corners with no outs. After a pop out, the next batter hit a ground ball to shortstop and just beat the throw to first on the double play try, allowing the run to score from third for a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Hayward led off with a single, Matthews doubled and Yee walked to load the bases, but Canada was unable to score after the Aussies got the third out on a great diving catch by the left fielder to keep the red and white without a run.
<BR><BR>
<a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=472'>Carey-Leigh Thomas</a> (Ohsweken, ON) got things started with a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth, and Gilbert placed a perfect single in front of first base before Wideman singled to center to load the bases with nobody out. After a strikeout, Matthews delivered a two-run single to left-center to tie the game, and Yee later had a two-run single of her own to give Canada its first lead. Lawrick would add an RBI single later in the inning to give Canada a 5-2 lead.
<BR><BR>
After Australia added a run in the top of the fifth, they managed to produce two singles in the sixth and another in the seventh, but were not able to score any of those runners as Canada earned the 5-3 win.
<BR><BR>
<a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=383'>Jocelyn Cater</a> (Delta, BC) had a very good start in the pitcher`s circle for Canada, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk, striking out five batters in five innings pitched. Demore allowed two hits but held Australia scoreless in the sixth, and <a href='http://www.softball.ca/profile.asp?pID=359'>Karissa Hovinga</a> (Edmonton, AB) shut the door in the seventh, allowing one hit with a strikeout.
<BR><BR>
Melanie Matthews led the way at the plate, collecting three hits and two runs batted in. Yee added two hits and two RBI's, while Gilbert and Wideman each added two hits as well. Lye, Lawrick, Thomas and Hayward rounded out Canada's 13 hits with one apiece.
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Box score and play by play: <a href='http://fastpitch.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=103223'>Canada 5 vs. Australia 3</a>
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Other scores on day three of the tournament saw Puerto Rico beat New Zealand 3-1, and Japan then defeated Puerto Rico 11-2. The United States also shut out New Zealand 8-0. Canada (3-1) will play against the United States (4-0) at 1:00pm PDT on Saturday.
<BR><BR>
Web streaming for all Women's International games can be purchased at the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship website: http://www.canadianopenfastpitch.com. The website also has live Pointstreak live scoring for all Women's International and Elite games.
<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>
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