West opens with win over Canada

Despite a strong start by Canada (Ontario, Canada), the West team from Tuscon, Ariz., was able to pull back to even before pulling ahead for good in an 8-3 victory in the series opener for both teams on Sunday, Aug. 8.

Team Canada opened the scoring in the top of the second when Joya Germanese led off with a double and came around after Shelby Koschuck reached on an error. She later scored after a hit by Amber Gelinas, giving the Canadian squad a 2-0 lead.

The West team answered in the bottom of the inning, when Cynthia Pelayo led off with a single, stole second and scored on a double by Ariana Zatarain. The West managed to tie the score in the bottom of the third when Niesa Villarreal reached on an error and came around to score on a double by Annette Lopez.

And that’s when the West team got hot.

They scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to doubles by Alexis Espinoza and Serena Hernandez and a single by Zatarain. They picked up three more runs in the bottom of the fifth, led by a two-run double from Espinoza and another run-scoring double from Brianna Urbina, bringing the score to 7-2.

Canada inched a little closer in the top half of the sixth. Victoria Brunet led off with a single, stole second and scored on a single by Koschuck. But Espinoza was able to strike out Gelinas, squelching the potential rally.

The West team closed the scoring in the bottom of the sixth, when Zatarain knocked in Pelayo with a double to extend their lead to 8-3.

Pelayo and Zatarain each had three hits for the West team, and Espinoza pitched all seven innings, allowing one earned run and four hits.