Softball Canada – (Midland, MI) The Canadian Junior Men’s National Team opened the WBSC Junior Men’s World Softball Championship with a 3-1 loss to New Zealand. Team Canada outhit New Zealand, but the Kiwis were able to scrape together three runs to win the battle on the scoreboard.
 
Canada got a two-out single by Alexandre Lemieux (St-Gervais, QC) but was unable to score, and New Zealand opened the scoring with a leadoff triple and the runner scoring on a wild pitch. The pitching took over from there, as Tyler Randerson (New Hamburg, ON) and New Zealand’s Daniel Chapman both retired the side in order in each of the second and third innings. Team Canada got a leadoff walk in the fourth, but the runner was retired on a double play to end the inning. New Zealand got a runner on base on a dropped third strike in the bottom of the frame, but Canada threw the runner out stealing to keep the score 1-0.
 
Daniel Godbout (St-Gervais, QC) notched his second leadoff single of the game to start the fifth, later followed by a single by Justin Laskowski (Warman, SK) with the runners advancing on a wild pitch. Derek Hyde (Tavistock, ON) drew a walk to load the bases with one out, but a strikeout and a ground out to third left three runners stranded on base. New Zealand added to its lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth when the leadoff batter walked, stole second, advanced to third on an error and scored on a groundout to shortstop.
 
In the sixth, Lemieux connected with a one-out single but was wiped out on a fielder’s choice followed by a ground out to keep Canada off the scoreboard. New Zealand added its third run in the bottom of the frame when the first batter doubled and was sacrificed to third before scoring on a two-out single.
 
Canada mounted a comeback in the top half of the seventh with Randerson leading off with a single to left followed by a walk to put two runners on base. After a fly out to center advanced Randerson to third, he scored on a ground out. However, the next batter grounded out to end the ball game.
 
Box Score: New Zealand 3 vs. Canada 1
 
Randerson threw the complete game loss for Canada, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out six over six innings. Godbout and Lemieux each had a pair of singles to lead Canada at the plate, with Randerson and Laskowski each chipping in with a single.
 
Team Canada (0-1) will be back in action against Mexico (1-0) at 6:00pm EDT on Monday. Live scoring and streaming are available through the event website.

 

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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