Buttrio, Italy - The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team split day two at the 2023 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage with a 6-2 win over Venezuela and a 6-1 loss against Italy on Sunday.
Morgan Rackel (Calgary, Alta.) got the start for Canada in the pitcher's circle in game one.
In the bottom of the first, Canada earned the first run of the day off an Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.) RBI single to score Kelsey Harshman (Delta, B.C.). Canada added two more runs in the inning off a Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, B.C.) two-run RBI single to score Janet Leung (Mississauga, Ont.) and Polidori to make it 3-0.
In the bottom of the second, Canada kept rolling when Emma Entzminger (Victoria, B.C.) hit an inside-the-park home run, making it 4-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Grace Messmer (Surrey, B.C.) reached on a fielding error. Nicole Rivait (Oakville, Ont.) then hit a double down the left field line, scoring Messmer to make it 5-0. Canada added another run off a Kianna Jones (Surrey, B.C.) fly out, scoring Rivait.
Canada made a pitching change in the top of the fifth, bringing in Samantha Ryan (Monroe, N.Y.). Rackel pitched four innings with one hit, no runs and five strikeouts.
Venezuela got on the board twice in the fifth off a dropped fly ball error and a single to make it 6-2.
Canada would go on to take game one 6-2 of a doubleheader.
In game two against Italy, Canada was looking for redemption after losing to the host nation at the Canada Cup a couple weeks prior.
Dawn Bodrug (Georgetown, Ont.) got the start in the circle for Canada.
In the bottom of the third, Italy got on the board first with a sacrifice bunt and a single up the middle.
Canada made a pitching change in the bottom of the fourth with Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, B.C.) taking over the pitcher’s circle. Bodrug pitched three and one-third innings, giving up four hits, one run and one strikeout.
Italy added two more runs in the fourth off a single down the middle to make it 3-0. Italy then added to their lead with a two-run RBI. The lead was then extended to six on a wild pitch.
Leung hit a lead off double to kick start something for Canada in the top of the seventh. Polidori then hit an RBI single to score Leung to cut the deficit to five.
Unfortunately, Canada ran out of time and 6-1 was the final score.
Canada will play game four on Monday at 2:00pm CET (8:00am EDT) against Japan. All games will be live streamed on gametime.sport. For event information, please click here.
