Music: {allcanada} CANADA FALLS TO AUSTRALIA, WILL PLAY FOR SOFTBALL BRONZE

Sunday, July 24, 2011

{allcanada} CANADA FALLS TO AUSTRALIA, WILL PLAY FOR SOFTBALL BRONZE

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OKLAHOMA CITY -- With a place in the championship game of the World Cup of Softball on the line, Canada slumped to an 8-3 defeat to Australia on Sunday night.

After a big win against the United States on Saturday, Canada would have advanced to the final with a win against Australia. Instead, the two teams will meet again in Monday's bronze medal game.

The United States will take on Japan for the championship.

With Canada holding a 3-1 lead heading into the fourth inning, Australia posted three runs to take the lead for the first time in the game. The Australians added two more in the next inning to pad their advantage.

After pitching three solid innings to start the game, Sarah Phillips from Mississauga, Ont., took the loss for Canada, allowing six runs -- two earned -- on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. Jocelyn Cater from Delta, B.C., pitched two innings of relief, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk.

Melanie Matthews from Surrey, B.C., and Toronto's Joey Lye each had two singles for Canada. Kaleigh Rafter from Guelph, Ont., Toronto's Victoria Hayward, Kelsey Haberl of Burnaby, B.C., and Megan Timpf from Port Dover, Ont., also had a hit.

After Australia went down in order in the top of the first, Canada struck first in the bottom of the inning when Matthews scored on a two-out single by Haberl.

Canada added another run in the bottom of the second when Timpf touched home on a sacrifice fly by Danielle Lopez of Barrie, Ont.

Australia cut the lead to 2-1 in the third when Stacey McManus singled, stole second, was sacrificed to third and scored on a single off Canadian pitcher Phillips' glove.

Canada would get that run right back in the bottom of the inning, as Jenn Yee from North Delta, B.C., scored on Lye's single through the left side giving Canada a 3-1 lead.

Australia mounted a comeback in the fourth. After back-to-back singles to start the inning, one of the runners scored on a bad throw on a sacrifice bunt attempt.

Carmelle Sorensen then hit an RBI single to third base, and Stacey McManus hit a deep sacrifice fly to score another run as Australia took a 4-3 lead.

The Australians kept the pressure on the following inning, adding two more runs on a two-out single by Jade Wall.

Australia added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh to extend the lead to 8-3. Canada loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Matthews and walks to Hayward and Yee, but the next two batters were not able to advance the runners.