(Photo credit: Carlos Puche; Venezuelan Softball Federation; and ISF XII Women's World Championship Host Committee)

 

(Caracas, Venezuela) After defeating Cuba 6-0 late last night, Canada improved its record to 2-0 at the ISF XII Women’s World Championships early this afternoon with a 5-2 win over Chinese Taipei (0-2). The red and white will be back in action this evening when they will take on Argentina (1-1) at 7:30pm EDT.

Canada came out and found itself trailing 1-0 after the bottom of the first inning. Starting pitcher Danielle Lawrie (Langley, BC), who picked up the win versus Cuba last night, gave up a single to left field and a drag bunt single before both runners advanced on a fielder’s choice and Taipei pushed their first run across on an infield groundout.

Canada finally got on the board in the third inning when Melanie Matthews (Surrey, BC) doubled and was moved to third by a Caitlin Lever (Buffalo, New York) sacrifice bunt. Jenn Yee (North Delta, BC) drove a grounder past first base to score Matthews. In the fourth, after Jen Salling (Port Coquitlam, BC) walked, Taipei made a pitching change. Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON) promptly deposited an offering deep over the left field fence to put Canada up 3-1.

In the fifth inning, Yee hit a shot to straight away centerfield that hit half way up the band stand stage situated in center. Canada went up by four in the top half of the seventh when pinch hitter Victoria Hayward (Mountain View, California) and Sheena Lawrick (Calgary, AB) walked and Hayward scored on an RBI single to left field by Danielle Lawrie.

In Taipei’s half of the seventh, after leading off with a single to right field, Lawrie got a ground ball out as Salling made a nice play in the hole at short. After a drag bunt single, Canada got their second out and gave up Taipei’s second run on a groundout to Yee at second base. With two outs, Lawrie induced a pop out to Salling to end the game.

Danielle Lawrie picked up her second win of the tournament, allowing only five hits. Two came in the first inning and three in the seventh, as she cruised in the middle innings. Lawrie struck out six and walked one. Erin Cumpstone (Saskatoon, SK) led Canada’s ten-hit attack with three singles. Jenn Yee banged out two hits including a towering homerun – her second of the tournament – to centerfield and chipped in with two runs batted in. Kaleigh Rafter blasted a two-run homerun to left field while Jen Salling and Melanie Matthews both hit line drive doubles to right centre. Sheena Lawrick and Lawrie both added singles in the victory.

In another early game on Friday, the United States (2-0) defeated New Zealand (1-1) by a score of 12-2 in four innings due to the run-ahead rule.

Canada 5 vs. Chinese Taipei 2: Box Score

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For more information, please contact:

Gilles LeBlanc
Manager – Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.ca