U.S. WINS SHOWDOWN WITH CANADA AS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONTINUES

SASAKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN – It didn’t need to be said, but – aside from the medal games – clearly the Canada vs. United States game clearly was going to be the game to see at the International Softball Federation’s X Women’s World Championship here. Although rain threatened to dampen the crowd’s spirits, in the end it was the U.S. team that took care of that.

Jennie Finch threw a complete-game one-hit shutout and struck out eleven as the Americans remained undefeated (3-0) with a 4-0 win. All three victories have come by shutout. The Canadians did themselves in by committing four errors. The U.S. only needed a second inning run, scored when centerfielder Laura Berg doubled in second baseman Lovieanne Jung, who had walked and advanced to second when Nicole Giordano grounded out. Attendance peaked at a standing room only total of 6,532 at Bob Van Impe Stadium.

The day began with a game rescheduled from Friday night (rain), with Japan staying unbeaten by edging New Zealand, 2-1. The score had been tied 1-1 after six. The next pair of games finished in identical 2-0 scores. Puerto Rico blanked Venezuela when pitcher Jessica Van Der Linden got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh with only one out by striking out the fifth hitter of the inning and getting the next to ground out. Russia, making their first-ever appearance in the World Championship, picked up their first victory after having been shutout in their first two outings, blanking the Netherlands Antilles.

The rest of the day went as follows:

Judith Van Kampen pitched a complete-game, striking out nine as the Netherlands rocked South Africa, 8-2.

Chinese Taipei blanked Italy 1-0. The losers have lost their first three games by a combined score of 6-0.

Japan hammered the Dominican Republic, 10-0 in the second game of the day for the winners.

New Zealand suffered their second loss of the day, falling 7-1 to Australia who has now outscored the opposition 29-1 in their first three games.

The night closed with China clobbering the Czech Republic, 21-1, in a game that saw the winners score seven runs in each of the first three innings. With two out in the bottom of the third, the 21st run came across, and the home plate umpire cried, “Ball game!” The ISF “mercy rule” provides for a game to be called (official) if a team is leading by 20 runs after three innings, 15 after four, or seven after five.

For more details on the games as well as tournament statistics and leaders, go to the Results page on the event's website using the link below. A text recap of each game can also be found on that site by clicking on Media Services from the homepage. That website also has the full tournament schedule. Media members and fans are also encouraged to visit this site throughout the tournament.

The top four teams from this event will qualify to play in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The medal games here are scheduled for Sunday, August 4.

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