Canada Secures 5-4 Win Over Italy

Photo Credit D. Laird Allan/Sportswave

Canada secured a spot in the Super Round at the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup by defeating Italy in the bottom of the seventh inning with a walk-off 5-4 win.

Italy jumped out, managing to take the lead in the second inning first on a walk followed by a line drive double to right field that saw them score one run. 

Canada managed to get the “hot bats” in the bottom of the second with Janet Leung (Mississauga) and Port Coquitlam’s CC Wong who reached base with a walk and a single to center field. 

Italy grabbed the lead again in the third with a leadoff single managing to get a stolen base and a wild pitch with a runner at third. 

An intentional walk was followed up by a Sac-fly to Abby’s Callum Pilgrim in RF, tying the game that saw Italy hit a double to LF sending a runner across home making it 3-2. 

The bottom of the fourth saw Hicks get a walk followed by a single from Surrey’s Kianna Jones advancing Hicks to third putting runners on the corners.

Delta’s Kelsey Harshman hammered a line-drive to CF, tying the game bringing Hicks home. 

The top of the 6th saw the game tied at three that saw Italy get their leadoff batter on base caused by an error sending a coaches call advancing the runner to second on a bunt followed by a single to CF. 

Runners on first and third and one out saw Italy regain the lead again, scoring one making it 4-3 on yet another error. 

Surrey’s Sara Groenewegen took the mound in the seventh, shutting down Italy on a SO and two flyouts with Canada coming to the plate.

Pilgrim hit a leadoff single up the middle, followed by another single to LF from Maple Ridge’s Larissa Franklin that allowed both runners to advance to third and second on a wild pitch with Leung tied the game with a single to CF, scoring Pilgrim. 

Wong then walked it off for Canada, scoring Franklin on a flyout to right field that was dropped that secured the 5-4 win.