Canada Cup - Day 2
Monday, July 06, 2009
(Surrey, BC) – After a tough 1-0 extra-innings loss in their opening game against Venezuela on Saturday, the Canadian Senior Women’s National Softball Team bounced back with a pair of wins on Sunday, defeating the Netherlands 8-1 before a huge 5-2 win over Australia in the nightcap. The win over Australia was especially sweet considering they are the ones who eliminated Canada from medal contention at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
In the afternoon game against the Netherlands, Canada wasted no time jumping out to the early lead as Melanie Matthews (Surrey, BC) blasted a leadoff homerun to give the home side a 1-0 lead. After the Netherlands tied the game up in the top of the second, Canada took a commanding 5-1 lead after scoring four runs in the bottom of the third. Victoria Hayward (Mountain View, California) – making her Canadian National Team debut – led off with a single followed by another by Jennifer Salling (Port Coquitlam, BC). Charlotte Dolan (Coquitlam, BC) then grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Hayward came around to score on an error on the play. Sheena Lawrick (Calgary, AB) then came up with a big two-run single, and later scored on a single by Caitlin Lever (Buffalo, New York).
Canada added two more runs in the fourth, as Victoria Hayward once again started Canada off on the right foot by forcing a walk, and later scored on a wild pitch. Jennifer Salling also scored on a throwing error. In the bottom of the fifth, Erin Cumpstone (Saskatoon, SK) singled and advanced to second on an error, and Caitlin Lever drove her in to score with a single to end the game on the run-rule.
Two former Junior Women’s National Team players shared pitching duties in the pitcher’s circle, as Jenna Caira (Toronto, ON) picked up the win after throwing the three first innings, allowing only one unearned run on three hits and two walks, striking out four batters. Leah McIntosh (Whitby, ON) pitched the two final innings, allowing two hits and struck out two batters.
Jennifer Yee (North Delta, BC), Erin Cumpstone and Caitlin Lever each collected a pair of hits for Canada, while Melanie Matthews (homerun), Victoria Hayward, Jennifer Salling, Charlotte Dolan and Sheena Lawrick each added one.
Canada vs. Netherlands: Box Score and Play-by-play
In the game against Australia, Canada got off to another strong start as starting pitcher Danielle Lawrie (Langley, BC) struck out the side in the top of the first, and the Canadian bats were able to produce a run in the bottom of the frame. Melanie Matthews and Evelyne Pare (Ile-Perrot, QC) both connected with singles before Jennifer Salling cracked a double to push Matthews in to score from second. After Jennifer Yee was intentionally walked to load up the bases with no outs, the three next hitters were retired in order to get Australia out of the jam.
Australia scored the equalizer in the top of the third inning, but Canada got that run right back in the bottom half of the inning after Jennifer Yee was hit by a pitched, was sacrificed to second and moved to third on a ground out before scoring on a single by Kelsey Haberl (Burnaby, BC), giving Canada the 2-1 lead. The big hit of the night for Canada came in the fourth, when Jennifer Yee blasted a three-run homerun with two outs after Caitlin Lever had singled and Jenn Salling had walked, giving Canada a 5-1 lead. Australia chipped in with another run in the sixth on a solo homerun by Stacey Porter, but that was as close as Australia would get.
Danielle Lawrie was the complete game winner for Canada, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks, fanning eight Australian hitters on strikes.
At the plate, Kelsey Haberl had two hits, while Jen Yee (homerun), Jenn Salling (double), Melanie Matthews, Evelyne Pare and Caitlin Lever rounded out the hits column. Lever also added two stolen bases.
Canada vs. Australia: Box Score and Play-by-play
In other Canada Cup action on Day 2, the United States defeated Venezuela by a score of 8-1.
Team Canada (2-1) will be back in action tonight (6:30pm PDT) when they will take on the powerful United States (3-0).
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For more information, please contact:
Gilles LeBlanc
Manager – Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 x3105
gleblanc@softball.ca
www.softball.ca / www.BackSoftball.com