by Bob Fromer
Surrey, British Columbia: July 6 -- "What a great day!"
called out one GB player. It was after 11.00 pm, and the GB Women's Team had just finished a warm-down in the floodlit but now deserted main stadium at Softball City after two fine playoff victories -- a 13-0 mercy rule demolition of Mexico in the afternoon and a 1-0 win over China Liaoning at night -- that have put the team just one game away from the Elite Division Final at the Canadian Open Fastpitch Championships.
The first game featured a great offensive display by the GB Team, but the night game against the Chinese was one of those classic contests of pitching and defense that the softball aficionados that hang out at Softball City were fully able to savour. "What a fabulous game of softball!" said the PA announcer as the teams left the field after the final out.
GB v Mexico
Mexico had unexpectedly defeated Britain
in pool play last Wednesday by a score of 4-2, but GB showed no mercy yesterday against four different Mexican pitchers, laying down a marker for the World Championships in Whitehorse when the teams will meet again. Great Britain banged out 14 hits, including a pair of soaring home runs by Stacie Townsend, who had five RBIs, and a line drive solo home run over the right centre field fence by Leah English. Naomi Jones had three hits; Jess Legendre had a single, a double and two walks; Sarah Jones drove in two runs with a first inning double to get GB started; and altogether, GB put together their biggest offensive outburst of the tournament.
GB scored three runs in the first, five in the fourth and five more in the fifth to ensure that the game would end after five innings.
Meanwhile, GB starter Megan Brown gave up six hits in almost five innings of work, and the Mexicans had scoring opportunities but never cashed them in. In the first inning, the GB defense recorded a double play when Stefania Aradillas popped up a bunt attempt and then catcher Leah English threw out Erika Garcia on an attempt to steal third. In the fourth inning, a walk and a hit put runners on second and third with no outs, but Megan Brown struck out Llarisa Perez and Luisa Hernandez and snared Grecia Garcia's bouncer for the third out.
In the fifth inning, singles by Priscilla Arzaga and Diana Castillo again put two runners on base, but Carling Hare came in to pick up the final out of the game.
GB v China Liaoning
Three hours after the Mexico game ended, GB were back
in action against China Liaoning, who had finished second in the round-robin group, just ahead of Britain and just behind the so-far-undefeated California A's.
GB had recorded a 5-2 win over the Chinese on Thursday, but the game was closer than the score suggests, and after giving up two runs in the first inning, GB pitcher Stacie Townsend had gutted her way through the rest of the game without her best stuff.
Tonight, Stacie was in complete control, throwing a one-hitter and facing the minimum 21 batters after Cao Yang, who blooped a single into right field for the only Chinese hit in the fifth inning, was out at second base trying to stretch it to a double when Laura Thompson threw a strike to Jess Legendre.
Stacie had nine strikeouts, no walks, kept the Chinese hitters off balance all night long, and was backed up by some great defense. Second base player Sarah Jones dove to snag a ball headed for right field and flipped to Amy Moore at first while still lying on the ground. Kristi Yoshizawa, as she has all during the tournament, snapped up everything at third base and made great throws to just get the speedy Chinese runners. Across the diamond at first base, Amy Moore hoovered up ground balls and line drives.
But the Chinese were almost as good. Pitcher Jin Ling Ling, throwing a sharp drop on the outside corner and an excellent rise ball, gave up only two hits, struck out 11 GB hitters, and saw her left fielder, Wang Yuan, make a stunning catch on a long line drive by Ali Parkerson that looked destined for the left field corner.
But those two GB hits both came in the second inning, plus a walk, and that created the run that won the game.
Ali Parkerson led off the second with that long line drive snared by Wang Yuan, and that may have rattled the Chinese pitcher, because Sarah Jones then drew a four-pitch walk. Jin Ling Ling struck out Morgan Parkerson, making her first appearance in the tournament after rehab on a knee injury, but Naomi Jones lined a single to right field, with Sarah taking third. Laura Thompson worked the count to three-and-two, then drove a sharp single up the middle, driving in Sarah Jones with what proved to be the winning run.
GB had only one baserunner the rest of the game -- a walk to Jess Legendre in the sixth inning -- but Stacie Townsend made that one run stand up with her best performance and her second one-hitter of the tournament.
Tournament Notes
The organisers of the Elite Division at the Canadian Open have chosen a Tournament All-Star Team based on six days of pool play, and two GB players are on it -- catcher Leah English and outfielder Steph Pearce.
On Saturday, GB will take on the California A's at 6.30 pm, and the winner will go to the Final on Sunday. The loser will still be able to reach the Final, but will probably have to defeat China Liaoning to get there.