THUNDER BAY – Canada is the lowest-ranked side of the six teams at this year’s World Baseball Softball Confederation Women’s Baseball World Cup.
The tournament hosts proved they could hang with the tournament's top squad at Port Arthur Stadium on Monday night.
Canada (1-1) had a pair of three-run frames but came up one run short as they dropped a 7-6 decision to six-time defending champion Japan (2-0) in a contest that lasted eight innings.
“Before the game, we talked about how we’ve only beaten Japan once in the times that we’ve been around and we felt like this was the team that had the opportunity to do it,” Canada manager Anthony Pluta said.
“We proved that we could do that today. I think anybody that may have been doubting our ability to play or to be here . . . they better watch out.”
Japan manager Risa Nakashima praised the quality of play from both sides.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of games in my life but this was one of the best that I’ve been a part of,” Nakashima said.
“We didn’t give up and they didn’t give up either. It could have gone either way.”
Japan held a 3-0 lead over Canada when the game entered the bottom of the sixth inning.
Madison Willan drew a two-out bases-loaded walk that brought home Emily Baxter to get the hosts on the board.
Zoe Hicks tied things up at three on the next at-bat with a two-run single.
Canada loaded the bases again when a pitch hit Lucie Anctil, but the inning ended shortly after when Tess Sawkins grounded out.
After both teams stranded runners in the seventh, the game entered extra innings, which sees automatic runners on first and second base as part of WBSC rules.
Japan was able to capitalize on a couple of Canadian fielding errors to break the tie and would extend the lead further on a two-run single by Haruna Tadano.
“We botched a couple of plays but that’s baseball,” Pluta said. “Those things happen.”
Despite being down 7-3 heading to the bottom of the eighth, Canada kept the pressure on.
Alexane Fournier started things off with an RBI double, then Willan and Hicks cut the lead down to a single run on groundouts.
Anctil represented the tying run when she came up to the plate with two outs, but she was sent down swinging by Japanese relief pitcher Mika Tai.
Hicks led the way on offence for Canada with a three-RBI night.
Raine Padgham got the start and struck out three batters in 4 and 2/3 innings. Reliever Sophy Gagné took the loss.
Although Canada had five errors during the contest, they made one of the best defensive plays of the tournament when centre fielder Sena Catterall made a highlight-reel diving catch on Kae Iwami in the top of the fourth inning.
“I played 13 years of professional baseball I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a catch as nice as the one Sena made,” Pluta said.
Tadano and Yuki Kawabata each drove home a pair of runs for Japan in the win, while starting pitcher Miya Shimizu and Tai both struck out four batters.
Canada has another tough test on Tuesday as they face the United States at 7 p.m.
They improved to 2-0 on Monday afternoon following an 11-1 rout of Mexico (0-2) in a game that lasted six innings.
Remi Schaber and Valerie Perez paced the offence for the Americans with three RBI each.
Monday’s other contest saw Venezuela (1-1) make their debut at the tournament with a 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei (0-2).
Angélica Ledezma and Frandelis Garcia combined to strike out six batters for Venezuela, who were without several players on Sunday due to travel issues and had to forfeit their game with the United States as a result.
In addition to the primetime border battle, Tuesday’s other games see Chinese Taipei facing Mexico at 11 a.m. and Venezuela squaring off with Japan at 3 p.m.
A full schedule can be found on the event’s website.
Tickets for the tournament can be purchased at Port Arthur Stadium or online.