Canada still perfect at world junior fastpitch championships

Photo by Jon Molson

“Quietly optimistic with our chances,“ said Team Canada’s head coach Tom Doucette when asked if he was confident heading into the upcoming week at the 2008 ISF World Junior Men’s Fast Pitch Championships.
The Canadian juniors have plenty of reasons to be optimistic after this past weekend’s competition, which saw the team begin the round robin with a perfect 4-0 record.
In the four victories, the group scored an incredible 38 runs, while limiting their opponents to just seven.

“You just want to take it a game at a time,“ said Doucette. “If you start looking at the end of the tunnel then you are going to lose sight of the task at hand.“
The Canadians kicked off the eighth ISF junior men’s competition against the Czech Republic on Friday, after the conclusion of the opening ceremonies.
After Canada surrendered the initial run in the top of the first, the team stormed back to score four in the bottom half of the inning.
Team Canada scored at least one run in each inning for the remainder of the game, including six in the fourth, before winning the contest 13-1. A seven-run mercy rule stopped the game after the top of the fifth inning.
Jessin Potskin finished with four RBI’s and one home run, while Cory Jones and Shane Boland each hit one humdinger of their own.
Canada’s next contest was on Saturday against Argentina. After both teams blanked the first, Canada broke the game wide open, scoring more than one run in each of the remaining innings. The final score was 10-0 after five innings of play.
Once again the team’s ability to drive the ball out of the park was an important aspect in the victory for Canada, which finished with multiple home runs, including an inside the park shot by Potskin.   
Sunday featured two games for Canada. The first contest was played at 11 a.m. against South Africa, which came into the game with a record of 0-3. Despite the differing records, the players on Team South Africa weren’t about to concede defeat.

South Africa managed nine hits and five runs, including four in the bottom of the fifth inning before losing by a final score of 12-5.
One of the highlights for Canada in the game was pitcher Joran Graham, who helped out his own cause by hitting a grand slam home run with one out in the top of the fourth inning. Both the crowd and members of Team Canada went crazy after the ball cleared the fence. Canadian players rushed out to congratulate Graham after he crossed the plate in what was the 10th run of the game.
In Sunday’s final game, there was scarcely a seat to be found, but fans of both Canada and softball powerhouse New Zealand were more than content to stand throughout the contest.

With both teams coming in with a record of 3-0, the atmosphere at the stadium was electric. Fans eagerly awaited the battle between two of the elite teams in the competition, while trying to stay as warm and dry as possible from the light rainfall.
The game didn’t disappoint and the only thing that could have been better turned out to be the weather, which got worse as the contest progressed. 
Team Canada benefited from another quick start and was able to take advantage of key opportunities early on the game.
After a scoreless first inning, Canada found itself with the bases loaded as a result of New Zealand’s pitcher having difficulty finding the strike zone.
With two out in the second inning, Terrel Walker didn’t make any mistake, lining the ball into the outfield for a single that gave Canada a 2-0 lead. The team added one more run in the inning before New Zealand was able to get the final out.
After the conclusion of the second inning, the game turned into a real pitching duel.

This turned out to be yet another strength of the young Canadian team, as Devon McCullough of Saskatoon showcased his A material to the delight of the majority of the fans attending the contest. 
McCullough, 17, put on a clinic, tossing a complete game, while limiting New Zealand to just five hits and one run. He finished with 11 strikeouts and in the top of the seventh inning, received a thunderous ovation from the remaining fans at the game when he was announced as the batter.
“Don’t change nothing, big man,“ one of the coaches on Team Canada said to McCullough as he was walking out to mound in the bottom of the seventh inning.

McCullough didn’t and it was only fitting that he helped register the final out of the game, knocking down the ball and then quickly throwing it to first base to give Canada the 3-1 victory. 
McCullough, who also pitched in the contest against the Czech Republic, said he is used to going the distance in softball games, but it was more special because of the fact that New Zealand is such as talented team.
“We were just all fired up before the game because obviously New Zealand is a great team,“ he said. “Once you win a close game like that it feels great.“
Today, Canada was supposed to play Botswana at 11 a.m. on The Pepsi Softball Centre’s Field Two, however wet conditions have forced organizers to postpone the game.

All games that end up being missed today will be made up at some point this week. Canada is also scheduled to play against Venezuela at 7:30 p.m., which, if the game occurs, will be on Field One.
Presently Canada and Australia are the only two undefeated teams at the championships. Each squad has a record of 4-0 and are scheduled to play each other on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on Field One.