Maracay, Venezuela- After tying the game in the top of the 7th inning, the Women’s National Team lost their first game of the Women’s World Cup in 8 innings by a score of 3-2 to Venezuela. The winning run was scored in the extra frame when a base-hit was made to left field scoring a runner from 3rd base. International extra-innings rules are structured so that a team places runners on 1st and 2nd base and chooses which batter they would like to send to the plate. Venezuela used a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to 2nd and 3rd and received a base-hit to left field by the next batter to win the game.
Canada failed to score in the top portion of the 8th inning when they were utilizing the extra-innings International rule. Kate Luchnaski (Edmonton, AB) was selected to bat for Canada with runners on 1st and 2nd and she laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Kate Psota (Burlington, ON) was then intentionally walked to set-up a force play at all bases. The Venezuelan strategy paid-off as Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, ON) grounded out to the pitcher who promptly threw to home for the start of a 1-2-3 double play.
The game was resumed after rain halted play the night before in the 3rd inning.
“We didn’t hit well at all,” said a disgruntled André Lachance (Ottawa, ON), Field Manager of the WNT. “We’ll have to do a better job than that in the next round.”
The WNT only managed 1 hit throughout the game, which came in the 2nd inning when Megean Cornelssen (Grand Prarie, AB) doubled which brought home Jennifer Gilroy (Mississauga, ON) to give Canada a 1-0 lead.
Venezuela would pull ahead in the in the 3rd inning using the same strategy that would afford them well later on in the game. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Venezuela would sacrifice bunt to advance the runners who scored on a double by the next Venezuelan batter.
Canada’s tying run in the top of the 7th came when Rebecca Hartley (White Rock, BC) scored on a ground out from Psota.
Canada finished the 1st round of the tournament with a 3-1 won/loss record.
