Surrey, B.C. – The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team earned a 6-1 win over the Aussie Spirit Development Team to open the Canada Cup International Softball Championship at Softball City on Monday night. Using a pitching by committee approach, three Canadian pitchers combined to allow only three hits while the offence got timely hits from the middle of the order.
 
The red and white did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard as Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, B.C.), Kelsey Harshman (Delta, B.C.), Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.) and Alysen Febrey (Peachtree City, Ga.) started the game with four consecutive singles to bring two runs in to score. The following inning, Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) lined a leadoff double to left followed by a single by Franklin and a walk by Harshman to load the bases, with Febrey later drawing a walk to bring a run in to score.
 
In the pitcher’s circle, rookie Ruby Anderson (Victoria, B.C.) got the start and worked herself out of the first after two runners reached on a walk and an error. The Aussie Development Team led off the second with a double and the runner later scored on a single to make it a 3-1 game, but Anderson responded well by inducing a ground ball and getting a strikeout to end the second before retiring the Aussies in order in the third.
 
Canada added two runs to its lead in the fourth when Wideman reached on an error and scored on a two-run homerun to center by Harshman. Nicola Simpson (Seattle, Wash.) relieved Anderson to start the bottom of the fourth and struck out two batters later issuing a leadoff walk, then allowed two runners on a single and an error in the fifth but was able to leave both runners stranded. Canada added its sixth run in the top of the seventh by getting a pair of singles from Kianna Jones (Surrey, B.C.) and Kelsey Lalor (Red Deer, Alta.) before scoring a run on a groundout by Wideman. Morgan Rackel (Calgary, Alta.) issued only one walk and struck out two over the final two innings to secure the win for Canada.
 
Box Score: Canada 6 vs. Aussie Spirit Development 1
 
Anderson picked up the win, allowing one run on two hits and struck out three over three innings. Simpson also struck out three while allowing one hit in two innings of relief, with Rackel striking out two in her own two innings. Harshman led the way at the plate with a homerun, a single and two runs batted in, while Franklin singled twice and scored twice. Wideman doubled and drove in a run, while Febrey contributed with a single and a run batted in. Polidori, Jones and Lalor each added a single.
 
Canada (1-0) will be back in action with a doubleheader on Tuesday, taking on the Calahoo Erins (0-1) at 1:00pm PDT followed by the Philippines (1-0) at 6:00pm PDT.
 
Other games in the International Women’s division on Monday saw the Philippines edge the Calahoo Erins 3-2, the Netherlands defeated Mexico 7-2, the Czech Republic walked off Australia 2-1, Triple Crown Colorado blanked Chinese Taipei 7-0, and the United Stated beat Korea 11-1.