Canada-Japan Women’s Series: Canada White settles for silver
Baseball Canada
GRANBY, QC- The Saitama Sakae Orange (4-1) proved to be the best team at the Canada-Japan Women’s Series scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth to earn a 3-2 win over Canada White (2-3) in the gold medal game.
After Canada White tied the score at two on a Daniella Matteucci (Fruitvale, BC) two-out RBI single, the Orange went ahead 3-2 in the bottom half of the inning.
Reliever Stacey Fournier (Langley, BC) hit the lead-off batter and after a ground out and single, the runner scored from third base on a fielder’s choice.
Canada White received a solid effort on the mound from starter Brinley McLaren (Brantford, ON) who went five innings and gave-up two runs on five hits, while striking out four.
Jenna Flannigan (Cornwall, ON) scored the game’s first run in the top of the first when she was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a pair of Orange errors.
The Orange got the run back in the bottom of the second and went ahead with a run in the fifth.
Katelyn Bedwell (Surrey, BC) had a pair of singles and Amanda Asay (Prince George, BC) doubled to pace Canada White’s offence.
In the bronze medal game, Canada Red scored three runs in the third to erase a one run deficit and added four in the fourth to go on to a 10-3 win over the Saitama Sakae Beavers.
Autumn Mills (London, ON) did it on the mound and at the plate going 2-for-3 with three RBI and tossing six innings to earn the win.
Mills’ single scored two runs as part of a three run third, while Stépanie Savoie (Québec, QC) hit a two-run double as part of a four run fourth.
Canada Red had 14 hits with Mills, Savoie, Daphnée Gelinas (Le Gardeur, QC), Kelsey Lalor (Red Deer, AB) and Emilie Laliberté (Granby, QC) collecting two apiece.
The Canada-Japan Women’s Series concludes the Women’s National Team program for 2013. Efforts will now be geared towards preparing for the 2014 IBAF Women’s World Cup with an eye on competing in the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto
Photo: Hiroko Yamada (Women’s Baseball Association of Japan))
