Softball News

Canada dropped to 3-3 at the Pan American men's softball championships Wednesday following a 1-0 round-robin loss to Argentina. Pitcher Frank Cox of Owen Sound, Ont., took the loss for Canada, which was coming off a 2-0 win over Mexico on Tuesday night. The Canadians were to play the British Virgin Islands later Wednesday followed by the Bahamas on Thursday and Guatemala on Friday.

B.C.'s Derek Mayson homered to help Canada beat Mexico 2-0 Tuesday at the Pan Am softball championship. Jeff Ellsworth of Alberton, P.E.I., was 1-for-2 at the plate with a sacrifice fly. He is 4-for-10 at the tournament. Canada earned a win by forfeit over Ecuador earlier in the day. The Canadians, who have a 4-2 record, will face Argentina and the British Virgin Islands on Wednesday.

Ryan Wolfe's two-run homer in the seventh inning rallied Canada to a 3-2 win over Cuba in the opening game for both teams Sunday at the Pam American softball championship. Canada went into the seventh and final inning trailing 2-0 before Wolfe homered with two out and with two strikes against him. Nick Underhill and Rick Smith combined for the win.

The Canadian women's softball team has earned a berth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Lauren Bay of Trail, B.C., and Robin Mackin of Newmarket, Ont., combined on a no-hitter as Canada defeated Italy 3-0 at the world championship Tuesday to qualify for the Summer Games for the fourth straight time. Erin Cumpstone of Saskatoon and Jennifer Salling of Port Coquitlam, B.C., each were 2-for-3 at the plate for Canada, which ...

Canada's bid for women's world softball championship medals ended with a 7-2 loss to Australia on Monday. The good news is that Canada can still qualify for the 2008 Olympics by defeating Italy on Tuesday. ``We do not have time to stew about this one as opportunity still knocks in the form of Italy,'' head coach Lori Sippel said after the loss to the Aussies. ``Our goal of reaching the ...

Canada kept its gold-medal hopes alive at the women's world softball championship on Sunday with a 3-2 victory over Taiwan. Danielle Lawrie of Langley, B.C., pitched a complete game and struck out eight batters for Canada (6-2), which will play Australia (5-3) on Monday. ``The team responded like elite athletes should,'' said coach Lori Sippel. ``They came to play and got the job done.'' A victory over the Australians would secure Canada a berth in the 2008 Olympics. They ...

Robin Mackin of Newmarket, Ont., held China to just one hit Saturday but paid for it in Canada's 1-0 loss at the women's world softball championship. Zhang Ai's RBI single in the first inning scored Zhou Yi, who had walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. That was all for China (6-1) against Mackin while Lu Wei held Canada (5-2) scoreless on four hits. The closest the Canadians came to scoring was in the seventh, when ...

Kaila Holtz of North Vancouver threw a no-hitter and Alison Bradley of Pinkerton, Ont., added a two-run homer in Canada's 12-0 mercy-rule win over South Africa at the women's softball world championship Friday. Holtz struck out 11 batters over her five innings and was one walk away from a perfect game in helping Canada improve to 5-1 at the tournament. It was the team's fourth shutout win. Canada plays host ...

Softball, removed from the Olympic roster starting in 2012, is hoping a high-level task force will get the sport back in the Games by 2016. The sport's governing body announced Thursday it was setting up the task force, drawing its members from business, media, the International Olympic Committee and the international and national softball federations. The aim is to generate support for softball's reinstatement at an IOC meeting in 2009, ...

Jennifer Salling of Port Coquitlam, B.C., doubled home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Canada a 1-0 victory over Italy at the women's softball world championship Thursday. Melanie Matthews of Surrey, B.C., opened the inning with a single and stole second before scoring on Salling's drive to left. Canada improved to 4-1 with the win over the Italians (1-4) and faces South Africa (0-5) ...