Laurel scores 14 off Canada
By John Denny
Staff Reporter

District III players Yasmin Davis, Meagan Colston, Ashlee Brittingham and Jenna Cahall congratulate Canada on a good game on Wednesday, Aug. 8. Photo by RUSLANA LAMBERT

“I thought they played great,” said Jeff Evans, manager for the host team. “You’re always worried about a let down (after a two day break.) But they picked it up. We obviously have a good chance (in the tournament) but there are a lot of good teams.”

The game was also a relaxing one and likely a confidence-builder for Laurel after just squeaking by Latin America on Monday, 1-0. Canada’s loss dropped that team to 0-4 and only exacerbated already-present frustrations.

“It was a garbage game,” Canada Manager Richard Phillips said Wednesday. “That’s all I have to say.”

Laurel scored one run in the first inning Wednesday when Yasmin Davis hit a ball into the right centerfield gap, causing two Canada outfielders to collide and Davis to turn a likely double into an inside-the-park homerun. After scoring three times in the second, Laurel’s eight-inning third doomed struggling Canada. Davis reached on an error by the third-baseman and later scored on Jenna Cahall’s double. A floating single down the left-field line — which was just missed by Canada’s leftfielder — off the bat of Alexis Oliphant then scored Jenna Allen and Cahall. After Kelsey Oliphant walked, Melissa Trout singled into center, scoring Alexis Oliphant. A batter later, Courtney Evans picked up two RBIs with a single through the middle, scoring Kelsey Oliphant and Trout. The third Oliphant triplet, Taylor, and Evans also scored in the inning. Laurel added two more runs in the fourth before winning by slaughter-rule in the fifth.