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2013 Canada-Japan Women Baseball Series ChampionshipsJul 15-21   Granby, Québec

Canada-Japan Women’s Series: Day 2 recaps
July 18, 2013

GRANBY, QC- There was plenty of free baseball played at Napoléon-Fontaine Stadium today as both games of the Canada-Japan Women’s Series went to extra innings.

Japan swept both games on day one of the tournament as both Canadian sides combined to return the favour on day two.

In the matinee contest Canada White (1-1) earned a 4-3 win over the Saitama Sakae Beavers (1-1) with a run in the bottom of the 10th, while Canada Red (1-1) scored three times in the top of the eighth for a 6-4 victory over the Saitama Sakae Orange (1-1).

Canada White 4 Saitama Sakae Beavers 3 (10 innings)

Bradi Wall’s (Swift Current, SK) single in the bottom of the 10th allowed Vanessa Riopel (Repentigny, QC) to score from second base as Canada White walked-off with a 4-3 win over the Saitama Sakae Beavers.

During extra-innings the international tie-break rule was utilized where the inning begins with runners on first and second. Wall led-off the inning with an RBI single.

Up until that the winning run crossed the plate, the game was a tightly contested battle that saw the Beavers take the lead twice, only for Canada White to come back and tie the score each time.

The Beavers opened the scoring in the top of the first when a two-out, bases loaded single scored two off Canada White starter Stacey Fournier (Langley, BC).

An error, single and walk loaded the bases before Fournier fought back with two strikeouts.

In the bottom of the third, Emma Carr (Toronto, ON) led-off with a walk and she advanced to third when Nicole Luchanski (Edmonton, AB) doubled.

Carr scored when Bradi Wall grounded out and Luchnaski scored to tie the game on a Jenna Flannigan (Cornwall, ON) groundout.

The game then turned into a pitcher’s duel with Fournier going on to toss two scoreless frames and Hannah Martensen (Ottawa, ON) throwing three perfect innings in the fourth, fifth and sixth.

With the score deadlocked at two, the game went to extras and with international tie-break rules in effect, a groundout and wild-pitch from reliever Daniella Matteucci (Fruitvale, BC) put the Beavers up by one.

Canada White caught a break in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded as Nicole Luchanski scored the tying run on a balk.

The story of the game for Canada White was pitching as after the first inning, Fournier, Martensen and Matteucci did not allow a hit.

Canada Red 6 Saitama Sakae Orange 4

Canada Red scored three runs in the top of the eighth, highlighted by a Kate Psota (Burlington, ON) RBI single, and held off the Saitama Sakae Orange to earn a 6-4 victory.

Autumn Mills (London, ON) tossed a scoreless seventh inning and limited the Orange to only one run in the home half of the eighth to preserve the victory.

The eighth inning was played using international tie-breaking rules.

Canada Red took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Kate Psota doubled with one out to score Ashley Stephenson (Oakville, ON).

Canada Red starter Cindy Saavedra (Toronto, ON) allowed a walk in each of the first two innings, but managed to get out of each inning unscathed.

She wasn’t as fortunate in the third as two walks with one out came around to score on separate Canadian errors.

Canada Red rallied with two runs in the top of the fifth on a Kelsey Lalor (Red Deer, AB) triple that scored Daphnée Gelinas (Le Gardeur, QC) and Emile Laliberté (Granby, QC).

The Orange fought back with a run in the bottom half of the inning after a one-out double scored after a ground out and error.

Both teams failed to score in the sixth and seventh which sent the game to extras.

Notes: Action continues tomorrow at 2pm ET when Canada White takes on the Saitama Sakae Orange, while the 7pm ET game features Canada Red against the Saitama Sakae Beavers.

All of the action can be followed live, courtesy of Pointstreak, at www.baseball.ca/cjwomen