Japan world softball champs

By Laura Thoren

Second ranked Australia met their demise as third ranked Japan (Red) grabbed the International women’s softball championship title in a 6-1 defeat at the 8th annual Canada Cup Softball Tournament July 8, at Softball City in Surrey B.C.

A record breaking 110,346 fans attended the nine day tournament which hosted a total of eighteen teams from China, Czech Republic, and Venezuala among others “Canada Cup is known as the world’s premiere developmental tournaments,” Canada Cup chairman Glenn Todd said.

“Teams come to Canada because it gives them a chance to build skills playing against the world’s best, preparing athletes for World and pre-Olympic competition.

In the Championship game, Japan (red) blasted Australia early in the first inning with four hits. Lead-off batter Haruka Saito launched a solo homer and Naomi Arai hit a double to score Yumi Iwabuchi. Sachito Ito scored on a wild pitch late in the inning. Japan scored two more runs in the 6th inning
Australia scored a single run in the seventh. Japan’s Yukikon Ueno was awarded the Lori Sippel Award for Best Pitcher and Haruka Saito was awarded MVP. USA (red) and Japan (white) emerged as second and third place victors.

For the fifth consecutive year the Canada Cup also included the Revy/Canada Cup Special Olympic Friendship Division Tournament. This year The Saskatoon Diamond Devils poked past the Richmond Rockets in a 16-15 victory.

Six teams competed from Kelowna, Richmond, Regina, Saskatoon and Abbotsford in this four day tournament.

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