Softball  Canada – Irvine, Calif. – The Canadian Women’s National Team defeated the Scrap Yard Fast Pitch team 7-0 in five innings to win the fifth-place game at the USA Softball International Cup. Canadian pitcher Jenna Caira (Toronto, Ont.) fired a two-hitter while the Canadian bats were on fire with eight hits in the run-rule victory against an independent professional team that features many former USA Softball, NPF and NCAA star athletes.
 
Scrap Yard got a leadoff single to start the game, but Team Canada wiped that runner out quickly as Victoria Hayward (Toronto, Ont.) caught a fly ball in right field and threw out the runner retreating to first for a double play. The red and white got on the board in the bottom of the inning when Kelsey Jenkins (Delta, B.C.) drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a ground out and scored on a double to right by Jenn Salling (Port Coquitlam, B.C.). Salling advanced to third by tagging up on a fly ball to right and later scored on a single to left by Holly Speers (Surrey, B.C.).
 
In the second inning, Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, Ont.) laced a one-out double to left followed by a single Jenkins to put runners on the corners before Hayward singled off the pitcher to allow Rafter to score. Salling hit a run-scoring single with Jenny Gilbert (Saskatoon, Sask.) later hitting an RBI single with the left fielder misplaying the ball to allow a second run to score on an error as Canada built a 6-0 lead.
 
Rafter drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the third and was replaced by courtesy runner Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, B.C.), who raced around the bases to score on a double to center by Jenkins. Meanwhile, Caira retired Scrap Yard in order in each of the second, fourth and fifth innings to keep them off the scoreboard and secure the 7-0 win.
 
Box Score: Canada 7 vs. Scrap Yard Fast Pitch 0
 
Caira allowed only two hits and struck out five in the five-inning win. At the plate, Salling and Jenkins each had a double and a single, with Salling driving in two runs and Jenkins producing one. Rafter added a double, with Speers, Gilbert and Hayward all adding run-scoring singles.
 
Team Canada will now travel to Surrey, B.C. on Monday to compete in the Canada Cup International Softball Championship beginning on Tuesday July 17^th.
-SC-

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Softball Canada
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