Softball Canada – Takasaki City, Japan – The Canadian Women’s National Team finished fourth at the Japan Cup following a narrow 1-0 loss against Australia. Canada’s Karissa Hovinga (Edmonton, Alta.) and Australia’s Kaia Parnaby engaged in a fantastic pitching duel, each allowing only two hits in complete game performances.
 
Kelsey Jenkins (Delta, B.C.) got the game started on the right foot for Canada by leading off with a double to left and Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.) later drew a two-out walk but a strikeout and two groundouts kept Canada from scoring. Australia scored what proved to be the only run of the game in the bottom of the second inning when Sam Poole led off with a double, was sacrificed to third and scored on a ground out to second off the pitcher.
 
Both teams went down in order in the third before Canada got a one-out single to left by Holly Speers (Surrey, B.C.) in the top of the fourth, but a fielder’s choice and a groundout to second kept Canada off the scoreboard. Both teams were sit down in order again in the fifth, with Australia getting a leadoff single in the bottom of the sixth but was unable to add to its lead. Team Canada got a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh and sacrificed the runner to second, but a groundout and a line out to third ended the game.
 
Box Score: Australia 1 vs. Canada 0
 
Hovinga turned in a great pitching performance, limiting Australia to one run on two hits and two walks along with two strikeouts in six innings for Canada. Jenkins doubled for Canada while Speers got the other hit and added a pair of walks.
 
In the Gold medal game, Japan erased a 4-1 deficit by scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 5-4 walk-off win against the United States.

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