Team Canada had a fantastic start during a Canada Day double header at Softball City Monday.
The fastpitch squad opened the 2024 Canada Cup International Women’s competition decisively, with an impressive 9-0 win over New Zealand, followed by a 9-1 victory over Mexico.
New Zealand greeted the Canadians with the traditional Māori Haka war dance following national anthems to start the day Monday (July 1). Team Canada proceeded to quickly dominate the game with a five-run first inning, helped out with a home run from Zoe Hicks in the first. With another home run from Erika Polidori, Canada jumped to a comfortable 7-0 lead in the second, en route to a stunning victory.
Canada then faced Mexico in the second game of the day, in what began as a tightly contested match between the two teams. It took a sharp turn in the fourth inning, when Canada leapt ahead with a massive six runs on five hits, and went on to a 9-1 final.
With 12 teams competing in the international competition, Canada next played the Philippines on Tuesday evening (July 2) at 6 p.m., winning again, with a 12-0 final score.
That will be followed by another 6 p.m. game vs. Israel on Wednesday, July 3, with a final pool game against Hong Kong set for Thursday (July 4) at 6 p.m., in a clash of two international powerhouses.
Featuring more than 1,500 elite athletes from across Canada and the world, the competition showcases some of the top female fastpitch talent at the national and club level. Several other high-profile games of note include an epic showdown between TC Colorado – who made it to last year's tournament final vs. Team Japan – and Chinese Taipei, under the Softball City lights at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Playoffs will take place July 5, 6 and 7, with the gold-medal final set for Sunday July 7, at 6 p.m. at the park.
The 10-day event, which runs June 28 to July 7, includes four other divisions: Futures Select (U19), Futures Gold (U19), Showcase Select (17U) and Showcase Gold (17U).
For the full schedule or to purchase tickets, visit canadacup.com
