Softball Canada – (Oklahoma City, Okla.) The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team evened its record at 3-3 with a pair of wins at the US World Cup of Softball XII on Friday, defeating Mexico 12-7 and Puerto Rico 6-3. Team Canada pounded three homeruns and seven extra-base hits in the win over Mexico, and battled back from an early 3-0 deficit to double up on Puerto Rico.
 
In the first game, Canada opened the scoring when Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.) laced a two-out double and scored on a single by Jenn Salling (Port Coquitlam, B.C.). A pair of walks loaded the bases, but the next batter flew out to end the inning. Mexico tied the game in the bottom of the frame, but Canada responded by scoring four times in the second. Carey-Leigh Vyse (Ohsweken, Ont.) led off with a single and was sacrificed to second before scoring on a triple to right by Victoria Hayward (Toronto, Ont.), who scored on an error on the same play. Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, B.C.) followed with a single and stole second before scoring on a single by Polidori, with Holly Speers (Surrey, B.C.) later pushing Polidori across the plate to increase Canada’s lead to 5-1.
 
In the third, Canada loaded the bases with three consecutive singles with two outs but was unable to add to its lead. The following inning, Salling worked a leadoff walk and was replaced by Courtney Gilbert (Delhi, Ont.) on the basepaths. After being sacrificed over to second, Gilbert scored on a ground ball up the middle by Kelsey Jenkins (Delta, B.C.) who went on to score on a double by Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.). After a scoreless fifth inning, Canada added two runs to its lead when Vyse singled and scored on a two-run homerun by Hayward to increase the lead to 9-1. Mexico was able to claw back with four runs to make it 9-5 in the bottom of the inning, but Canada responded with three runs on a two-run blast by Jenkins and a solo shot by Vyse for a 12-5 lead. Mexico proceeded to load the bases to start the bottom of the seventh and was able to push two runs in to score, but that was as close as they would get.
 
Box Score: Canada 12 vs. Mexico 7
 
Hayward had four hits including a homerun, a triple and drove in three runs, while Jenkins homered and singled for three RBIs of her own. Vyse hit a solo homerun and added a pair of singles, with Speers and Polidori each notching a double and a single. Franklin and Salling both singled twice, Wideman doubled and Sarah Chow (Victoria, B.C.) singled as Canada pounded 19 hits. Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage (Fort McMurray, Alta.) kept the Mexican bats from scoring for a good part of the game until they got to her in the sixth inning, scattering five runs (four earned) on 12 hits and striking out one. Karissa Hovinga (Edmonton, Alta.) allowed two runs on three hits in one third of an inning before Sara Plourde (Baker Lake, N.B.) came in and struck out two in the last inning.
 
Puerto Rico got on the board early with a run in the top of the first and added a two-run homerun in the second for a quick 3-0 lead, but Canada chipped away with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Salling and Speers started the inning with singles and advanced on a throw to put runners on second and third, with Salling scoring on a single to left by Wideman and Speers crossing the plate on an error. The red and white then tied the game the next inning, as Joey Lye (Toronto, Ont.) led off with a walk, advanced to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Salling.
 
Wideman led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and was sacrificed to second, later followed by a walk by Hayward, a run-scoring single by Lye and an RBI double to center by Polidori to give Canada a 5-3 lead. The Canadians added another insurance run in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Franklin, bringing Speers home after she had singled to lead off the inning. Puerto Rico threatened with runners on base in each of the sixth and seventh innings but the Canadian defence held up strong to secure the 6-3 win.
 
Box Score: Canada 6 vs. Puerto Rico 3
 
Polidori, Speers, Jenkins and Wideman all collected two hits for Canada, with Lye, Salling and Franklin each chipping in with a single in a total team effort. Jocelyn Cater (Delta, B.C.) started the game in the pitcher’s circle, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks to go along with three strikeouts. Plourde picked up the win in relief, throwing four scoreless innings allowing only three hits and walking two with four strikeouts.
 
Team Canada evened its record to 3-3 and will finish the preliminary round portion of the tournament against Australia (3-2) at 3:30pm CDT on Saturday.

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Gilles LeBlanc
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Softball Canada
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