USA Central defeats Canada in opener
By John Denny
Staff Reporter

Above, Canada's Samantha Newton throws a pitch against USA Central. Below Canada's Ashlie Thibeault beats the throw to Central's Kayla Noble. Photo by RUSLANA LAMBERT

It wouldn’t take long for USA Central to shake any lingering World Series jitters following an unproductive first inning. Shortstop Alex Bousquet, who was a homerun shy of hitting for the cycle and led the team with three RBIs, belted a two-out, two-RBI triple deep to centerfield for a 2-0 lead. Bousquet wouldn’t sit idle at third and scored on an errant throw by the catcher to the pitcher, giving her team a 3-0 second-inning lead and a little breathing room.

Canada starting pitcher Samantha Newton settled down and struck out three of four batters in the third and didn’t let USA Central hit the ball out of the infield in the fourth, for another quick inning. USA Central left two base runners stranded at second in both innings.

Newton walked three and allowed four hits while fanning four through four innings of work. Sabrina Phillips relieved her in the fifth and USA Central feasted.

USA Central added two more runs in the fifth on a RBI bloop single by Sarah Davis to score Ashlee Smith, who reached base on a leadoff walk. It was then that Canada seemed to unravel at the seams.

USA Central was moving on the bases, and it seemed to pay off, because Canada was seldom in position to make a play. Davis capped the fifth inning after stealing second and third — USA Central’s third stolen base of the inning — and scored on a throw-out attempt that sailed down the leftfield line because of a miscue between the catcher and third baseman.

And with a 5-0 lead after five innings, USA Central remained vigilant. They scored eight runs in the sixth inning on seven hits, four of which were consecutive, and with two outs. USA Central also scored two of their eight sixth inning runs on a past pitch and an error.

USA Central’s pitchers, led by starter Sam DeFord, tossed a combined no-hitter. DeFord tossed the first three, and reliever Olivia Findley worked the last three. The two were equally impressive.

DeFord and Findley each fanned five and allowed only one ball out of infield. Canada reached base only twice in the fifth and sixth inning, but Findley struck out the final batter of each respective inning, snuffing any potential rally.