July 4, 2017
Canadian Men’s Softball Team Wins Bob Law Memorial Challenge
Softball Canada – (Vancouver, B.C.) The Canadian Men’s Softball Team won the final tune-up tournament before next week’s WBSC Men’s World Softball Championship by defeating top-ranked New Zealand 10-3 and the United States 4-0 to claim the Gold medal at the Bob Law Memorial Challenge in Vancouver, B.C. Canada went 4-0 in preliminary round play and defeated the Fleetwood Marlins 7-0 on Sunday to advance to the semi-final. The tournament featured five national softball teams – including the Czech Republic and Great Britain – as well as five club teams.
The last time Canada and New Zealand met was in the Gold medal game of the 2015 WBSC Men’s World Softball Championship, when Canada erased a 5-0 deficit to win Gold with a 10-5 victory. In semi-final action earlier today, Canada got on the board early on a solo homerun by Blake Hunter (Nanaimo, B.C) in the bottom of the first inning. New Zealand tied the game in the top of the second on a leadoff homerun by Cole Evans, and took a 2-1 lead the following inning when Nathan Nukunuku singled and later scored on a single by Brad Rona. The Canadian offence then went to work in the bottom of the third. Hunter drew a leadoff walk followed by a single by Bradley Ezekiel (Harbour Main, N.L.) before Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, N.L.) doubled in a run. After a walk loaded the bases, Shane Boland (St. John’s, N.L.) hit a sacrifice fly to center as Canada took the lead. Ryan Boland (St. John’s, N.L.) and Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, Que.) each hit RBI single, with Canada’s sixth run of the game coming on a hit by pitch to Hunter with the bases loaded.
New Zealand reduced the lead to 6-3 in the top of the fifth on a solo blast by Ben Enoka, but Canada put the game away in the bottom of the fifth. Brandon Horn (Waterloo, Ont.) reached on an error followed by a double by Roy before Hunter hit his second homerun of the game, this time a three-run shot. A single by Ezekiel and a walk to Mullaley put a runner in scoring position, and Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, B.C.) doubled to bring home the winning run for the 10-3 run-rule win.
Box Score: Canada 10 vs. New Zealand 3
Hunter had two homeruns and drove in five runs for Team Canada, while Mullaley, Mayson and Roy all doubled. Ezekiel singled three times, with Ryan Boland and Mark Johnson (Glencoe, Ont.) each contributing a single. Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, N.L.) picked up the win in the pitcher’s circle, allowing two runs on four hits and three strikeouts in four innings. Justin Schofield(Grand Pre, N.S.) pitched the last inning, allowing a run on one hit and struck out one.
After defeating the United States 9-1 in round-robin play on Saturday night, the two teams met again in the Championship game after Team USA defeated the South Hill Giants 2-1 in eight innings earlier in the day. Canada jumped out ahead 2-0 early by loading the bases on a walk by Roy and singles Horn and Hunter to start the bottom of the first inning, later followed by a hit by pitch by Mayson and a sacrifice fly to center by Andy Skelton (Scarborough, Ont.). The score remained the same through the middle innings as Canadian starter Devon McCullough (Saskatoon, Sask.) and American reliever Duane Weiler made quick work of the opposing batters.
Canada padded its lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth when Shane Boland connected with a one-out single followed by a two-run blast by Skelton for a 4-0 lead. Cleary came on in relief of McCullough and retired all six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings – five of them on strikeouts – to register the six out save.
Box Score: Canada 4 vs. United States 0
Skelton had a homerun and drove in three runs to pace the offence, with Horn, Hunter and Shane Boland each hitting a single for Canada’s four hits. McCullough and Cleary combined for a one-hitter, with McCullough only allowing a leadoff double to the first batter of the game and striking out eight batters in his five innings of work.
Team Canada will now travel to Whitehorse, Yt. looking to defend its world title at the WBSC Men’s World Softball Championship. The red and white will open the tournament against South Africa at 7:30pm PDT on Friday, July 7th. SportsCanada.tv streaming featuring Ballpark Radio and live scoring will be available through the tournament website at http://www.2017mensworldsoftball.com/.
The last time Canada and New Zealand met was in the Gold medal game of the 2015 WBSC Men’s World Softball Championship, when Canada erased a 5-0 deficit to win Gold with a 10-5 victory. In semi-final action earlier today, Canada got on the board early on a solo homerun by Blake Hunter (Nanaimo, B.C) in the bottom of the first inning. New Zealand tied the game in the top of the second on a leadoff homerun by Cole Evans, and took a 2-1 lead the following inning when Nathan Nukunuku singled and later scored on a single by Brad Rona. The Canadian offence then went to work in the bottom of the third. Hunter drew a leadoff walk followed by a single by Bradley Ezekiel (Harbour Main, N.L.) before Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, N.L.) doubled in a run. After a walk loaded the bases, Shane Boland (St. John’s, N.L.) hit a sacrifice fly to center as Canada took the lead. Ryan Boland (St. John’s, N.L.) and Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, Que.) each hit RBI single, with Canada’s sixth run of the game coming on a hit by pitch to Hunter with the bases loaded.
New Zealand reduced the lead to 6-3 in the top of the fifth on a solo blast by Ben Enoka, but Canada put the game away in the bottom of the fifth. Brandon Horn (Waterloo, Ont.) reached on an error followed by a double by Roy before Hunter hit his second homerun of the game, this time a three-run shot. A single by Ezekiel and a walk to Mullaley put a runner in scoring position, and Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, B.C.) doubled to bring home the winning run for the 10-3 run-rule win.
Box Score: Canada 10 vs. New Zealand 3
Hunter had two homeruns and drove in five runs for Team Canada, while Mullaley, Mayson and Roy all doubled. Ezekiel singled three times, with Ryan Boland and Mark Johnson (Glencoe, Ont.) each contributing a single. Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, N.L.) picked up the win in the pitcher’s circle, allowing two runs on four hits and three strikeouts in four innings. Justin Schofield(Grand Pre, N.S.) pitched the last inning, allowing a run on one hit and struck out one.
After defeating the United States 9-1 in round-robin play on Saturday night, the two teams met again in the Championship game after Team USA defeated the South Hill Giants 2-1 in eight innings earlier in the day. Canada jumped out ahead 2-0 early by loading the bases on a walk by Roy and singles Horn and Hunter to start the bottom of the first inning, later followed by a hit by pitch by Mayson and a sacrifice fly to center by Andy Skelton (Scarborough, Ont.). The score remained the same through the middle innings as Canadian starter Devon McCullough (Saskatoon, Sask.) and American reliever Duane Weiler made quick work of the opposing batters.
Canada padded its lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth when Shane Boland connected with a one-out single followed by a two-run blast by Skelton for a 4-0 lead. Cleary came on in relief of McCullough and retired all six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings – five of them on strikeouts – to register the six out save.
Box Score: Canada 4 vs. United States 0
Skelton had a homerun and drove in three runs to pace the offence, with Horn, Hunter and Shane Boland each hitting a single for Canada’s four hits. McCullough and Cleary combined for a one-hitter, with McCullough only allowing a leadoff double to the first batter of the game and striking out eight batters in his five innings of work.
Team Canada will now travel to Whitehorse, Yt. looking to defend its world title at the WBSC Men’s World Softball Championship. The red and white will open the tournament against South Africa at 7:30pm PDT on Friday, July 7th. SportsCanada.tv streaming featuring Ballpark Radio and live scoring will be available through the tournament website at http://www.2017mensworldsoftball.com/.
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Gilles LeBlanc
Manager – Marketing & Communications
Softball Canada
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w: www.softball.ca | e: gleblanc@softball.ca