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by Bob Fromer

Vancouver, Canada: July 9 -- It didn't take the GB Junior (Under-19) Women's Fastpitch Team long to put some runs on the board when they played the second of three scrimmage games today leading up to the start of the Canadian Open Fastpitch Futures Division Tournament on Monday.

With the bases loaded and two out against local Vancouver-area team Richmond Islanders 93 in the top of the first inning, GB shortstop Sara Robb ripped a one-strike pitch down the right field line for a triple, chasing home Amy Trask, Lauren Bromage and Saskia Johnston to give Britain a 3-0 lead and their first runs in live competition here in Canada.

But the lead was short-lived. As in their first scrimmage game on Friday, GB was guilty of giving the opposition far too many runs on physical and mental errors. The Islanders came back to score seven runs in the bottom of the first inning on three hits, three walks, two GB errors that went in the scorebook and a couple of mental errors that didn't, and though it was a fairly even game after that, GB had given themselves a mountain to climb and duly failed to climb it, eventually going down to a 10-3 mercy rule defeat in five innings.

Promising pitching

Ellie Pamenter was the GB pitcher who suffered through that nightmare bottom of the first inning, but she came back strongly, giving up only one unearned run over the next two innings. Carling Hare pitched the fourth and fifth for GB and gave up only one hit, but yielded two unearned runs thanks to four more GB errors.

Great Britain committed eight errors in this game and had three yesterday; their opponents in the two games played so far committed none. Only nine of the 20 runs scored against GB in two games have been earned.

"We can't make excuses any more," Head Coach Hayley Scott told the team afterwards. "You're all talented players, but from now on we have to cut down on the mistakes."

Offensively, GB was unable to string much together, despite scoring those three runs early and having baserunners in every inning. The only two GB hits were Sara Robb's first-inning triple and a beautifully-placed bunt single by Louisa Scott in the second inning, and there were nine GB strikeouts against Islanders' pitcher Jamie Randall in just five innings.

Hopeful signs

In some ways, though, this was a better GB performance than on Friday, including two sparkling fly ball catches by Vicky Keswick and Amy Wells, and generally disciplined at-bats by GB hitters that led to six well-earned walks.

But there is only one scrimmage game left -- on Sunday against local team White Rock Renegades 94 -- to show that GB can cut down on defensive mistakes and start hitting the competent but not overpowering pitching the team has seen so far in Canada.

In the end, scrimmage games are about giving everyone playing time, trying out players in different positions, getting the team used to playing together and figuring out the strongest line-up to put on the field when the games are for real. Winning or losing doesn't really matter as long as things are heading in the right direction. Despite all the mistakes, there are signs that this is exactly what's happening for the GB Juniors.

And tomorrow is another day....