Surrey, B.C. – The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team got off on the right foot at the 2019 Canada Cup International Softball Championship with an 8-0 victory over Great Britain U22 in five innings on Tuesday night.
Team Canada got the scoring started early, putting its first run on the board in the bottom of the first. Victoria Hayward (Toronto, Ont.) led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Jennifer Salling (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) came up two batters later and singled Hayward home on a line drive single to centre. Joey Lye (Toronto, Ont.) added another run an inning later when she singled on a bunt with the bases loaded, scoring Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, B.C.) from third.
Canada broke the game wide open and put it out of reach for Great Britain in the third. Salling walked to start the inning and came home on a home run from Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.). A Franklin sacrifice fly brought in the third run of the inning after Emma Entzminger (Victoria, B.C.) walked and was advanced to third on Natalie Wideman’s (Mississauga, Ont.) single to right. Janet Leung (Mississauga, Ont.) doubled to make it 6-0 and after a walk put two runners on base, Jennifer Gilbert (Saskatoon, Sask.) tripled to cap off the scoring at 8-0.
Box Score: Canada 8 vs. Great Britain U22 0
Morgan Rackel (Calgary, AB) got the start in the circle for Canada to open the tournament, picking up the win in her first start in a Team Canada uniform. Rackel went the full five innings allowing two hits and three walks to go along with eight strikeouts while not allowing a run.
Team Canada has a pair of round robin games on Wednesday, starting with the Calahoo Erins at 12:30pm PDT followed by the New Zealand Major Sox at 7:00pm PDT.
Canadian Juniors Fall to Scrapyard International and Korea
The Canadian Junior Women’s National Team had a tough start on their first day of tournament play, dropping a 10-1 decision to Scrapyard International and a tight 4-3 loss to Korea in nine innings.
In the first game, Scrapyard International – an independent team composed of professional athletes – jumped out to a 5-0 lead after three innings of play on the strength of three homeruns and added two more runs in the fourth to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Mexican ace Dallas Escobedo started in the pitcher’s circle for Scrapyard and Canada was able to mount some offence in the bottom of the fourth, as Grace Messmer (Surrey, B.C.) and Hayley Grice (Surrey, B.C.) each drew walks before Kianna Jones (Surrey, B.C.) hit a two-out RBI double. After a scoreless fifth, Scrapyard added a three-run homerun in the top of the sixth to seal the win in six innings.
Box Score: Scrapyard International 10 vs. Canada Juniors 1
Alexis Lucyshyn (Calgary, Alta.) got the start for Canada and allowed four run on five hits in two and a third innings of work. Maddie Hickingbottom (Glen Williams, Ont.) surrendered three runs (two earned) over two and two thirds innings of relief, with Kianna Jones allowing three runs in one inning. Jones had a double and a single for Canada at the plate, with Cameryn Maykut (Winnipeg, Man.) adding a double in the third.
The nightcap against Korea ended up being the best game of the day. Korea got on the board early by scoring a run in the bottom of the first and carried the 1-0 lead until the top of the fifth inning when Canada pushed three runs in to score. Nicole Rivait (Oakville, Ont.) got things going with a one-out single and Mia Valcke (St. Marys, Ont.) hit an RBI double. Lauren Benson (Surrey, B.C.) followed with a run-scoring double of her own, and Kendra Falby (Tampa, Fla.) later hit another RBI double as Canada took a 3-1 lead. Down to their last at-bat in the bottom of the seventh, Korea got a one-out single followed by a triple to cut the lead to one, and was able to push the tying run in to score on a defensive error, sending the game to extra innings. Neither team was able to score in the eighth, and after Canada went down in order in the ninth, Korea loaded the bases and ended up winning the game on a walk-off walk.
Box Score: Korea 4 vs. Canada Juniors 3
Samantha Ryan (Monroe, N.Y.) started the game in the pitcher’s circle for Canada and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and stuck out seven batters over six and a third innings. Kianna Jones was saddled with the loss, allowing an unearned run and striking out one in two innings of relief. Jones had a pair of singles for Canada, with Falby, Valcke and Benson each smacking a double. Rivait chipped in with a single.
The Canadian Junior Women’s National Team will be looking to bounce back against Team Mizuno Impulse from Texas at 3:00pm PDT on Wednesday.
