Surrey, B.C. – The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team took its first loss at the Canada Cup by dropping a 9-2 decision to the United States in five innings in their opening playoff game. Prior to the game, the bronze medal winning Canadian Olympic softball team was honoured for their historic result with most retired athletes and coaches on hand for the celebration.
 
Canada put two runners on base in the top of the first inning on an error and a single by Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.), but a double play got the Americans out of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, USA’s first two batters reached with singles and Canada turned a double play of their own, but a two-run single later in the inning opened the scoring. A sacrifice fly in the second increased USA’s lead to 3-0, and they hit back-to-back solo homeruns in the third to jump out to a 5-0 lead.
 
Team Canada responded with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Polidori drew a one-out walk and scored on a double to center by Alysen Febrey (Peachtree City, Ga.), with Kelsey Lalor (Red Deer, Alta.) later hitting an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-2. Sahvanna Jaquish hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth, and Taylor Pleasants hit a two-run shot of her own in the bottom of the fifth to end the game on the run rule.
 
Box Score: United States 9 vs. Canada 2
 
Jorde Chartrand (Weyburn, Sask.) started the game in the pitcher’s circle for Canada, allowing three runs on six hits and one strikeout in an inning and a third. Nicola Simpson (Seattle, Wash.) pitched two innings of relief, yielding four runs on four hits with one strikeout. Sam Ryan (Monroe, N.Y.) pitched the final two thirds of an inning, allowing two runs on two hits. Febrey doubled and drove in a run for Canada and Lalor added an RBI single. Polidori and Kelsey Harshman (Delta, B.C.) each contributed a single
 
With the loss, Canada (5-1) will play at 3:30pm PDT on Saturday against Chinese Taipei (3-3).