It all starts today...Welcome to the Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship!

CanadianOpenFastpitch.com

The 2010 Canadian Senior Women’s National Team is back in action this week at the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship. (Photos courtesy VisionQuest)

Also today:

Australia vs. Venezuela, 1:00 p.m.

U.S.A. vs. Australia, 3:30 p.m.

U.S.A. vs. Japan, 8:30 p.m.

CANADA / USA / ÉTATS-UNIS / JAPAN / JAPON / AUSTRALIA / AUSTRALIE / VENEZUELADAILY

Hotsheet

Team profile: CANADApage 2

Showdown in Women’s Championship

U.S.A. vs. Japan, 8:30 p.m.see full schedule on page 3

Player profile: Sara Groenewegen

page 4

July 9, 2011 Canada vs. Venezuela 6:30 p.m.

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peacearchnews.com

2 CANADIAN OPEN FASTPITCH Saturday, July 9, 2011

TEAM CANADAThe reigning ISF world bronze medalists,

host nation Canada will be looking to woo the

home crowds with a win on the Championship

Diamond. Last year’s third place finish was

the best ever performance for the Canadian

Women’s National Team Program and the

red and white will be looking for something

special this year from their newly formed

team of veterans and up-and-coming

superstars. Three athletes on Team

Canada are some of the players to

watch at the tournament. Jennifer

Yee, a local player from North Del-

ta, British Columbia, is a former

Olympian and veteran of many

international competitions. Kaleigh

Rafter, a catcher and first base player

from Guelph, Ontario has been a regular

on Team Canada for the past few years, and is

constantly inspired by her teammates. Melanie

Matthews, a local from Surrey, British Colum-

bia, played on the Simon Fraser University

softball team when they won the gold medal

in the NAIA National Championship in 2005

and the silver medal in 2004 and has played on

Team Canada for six years.

ÉQUIPE CANADALes médaillistes de bronze en titre de l’ISF, le

pays hôte du Canada, cherchera à courtiser

les foules à domicile avec une victoire sur le

terrain #1. La troisième position atteinte l’an

dernier était la meilleure performance du

programme de l’équipe nationale féminine

du Canada et le rouge et blanc cherchera

quelque chose de spécial cette année de leur

équipe nouvellement formée de vétérans et

jeunes joueuses d’avenir. Trois athlètes

de l’équipe canadienne sont cer-

taines des joueuses à surveiller

au tournoi. Jennifer Yee, une

joueuse locale de North Delta, en

Colombie-Britannique, est une

ancienne Olympienne et vétéran

de plusieurs compétitions inter-

nationales. Kaleigh Rafter, une

receveuse et joueuse de premier but

de Guelph, en Ontario est une joueuse

régulière de l’équipe canadienne lors des

quelques dernières années, et continue à être

inspirée par ses coéquipières. Melanie Mat-

thews, une joueuse locale de Surrey, en Colom-

bie-Britannique, a joué avec l’équipe de softball

de l’Université Simon Fraser lorsqu’elle a rem-

porté la médaille d’or au Championnat nation-

al de la NAIA en 2005 et la médaille d’argent en

2004 et a joué avec l’équipe canadienne lors des

six dernières années.

International team feature: Canada

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Send us your photos to Flickr and Twitter to see them here!(*go to PeaceArchNews.com for Flickr instructions)

Tweet photos to @CdnOpen

Share images on Flickr

TEAMCANADA

Team Canada took to Softball City on Thursday for their first official team practice. The squad opens

their Canadian Open against Venezuela, tonight at 6:30 p.m. on Diamond 1. (Surrey Leader photo)

TAKING THE FIELD...

The 2011 Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship is online...CanadianOpenFastpitch.com

for all your event information,

maps, tickets, scores and

more. Visit PeaceArchNews.

com for coverage by Black

Press publications.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTERFollow the 2011 Scotiabank

Canadian Open Fastpitch

International Championship

on Twitter by following

@CdnOpen. Use the hashtag

#COFP11 to let others know

that you’re tweeting about

the championship, and follow

what’s being said by

@blackpressdigital

CONNECT ON FACEBOOKThere will be daily news,

player features, scores,

games to watch and more.

Find us on Facebook

at facebook.com/

canadianopenfastpitch and

“like” us to stay connected.

For coverage from Black

Press, follow The Surrey-

North Delta Leader and

The Peace Arch News on

Facebook, as well.

WATCH GAMES ONLINEThe Women’s International

Championship games will

be broadcast live online. Visit

CanadianOpenFastpitch.com

to view live games at Softball

City. Supported by the video

team from SuperVision Ltd.

and the website streaming

service SportsCanada.tv. A

link will also be available at

PeaceArchNews.com

KEEP SCOREPointstreak Sports

Technologies is the official

scorekeeping software

for the championship.

Users can access scores

live in real time at

CanadianOpenFastpitch.

com and online at

PeaceArchNews.com

SHARE PHOTOS WITH FLICKRGo to PeaceArchNews.com,

log into your Flickr account

and share your photos.

(Above photos courtesy of

VisionQuest)

Saturday, July 9, 2011 CANADIAN OPEN FASTPITCH HOTSHEET 3

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Are you wondering what’s

happening on the field when

you’re somewhere else? View

scores, statistics, and the live-

updated Game Live system

from Pointstreak scoring

technologies online at www.

CanadianOpenFastpitch.com

Today’s Schedule:

Message from our sponsors:

“Global BC is proud to support the many talented women participating in this year’s Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship. Our 50-year history of community support is unmatched and extends to all corners of the province and all facets of life. Best of luck to everyone in this year’s tournament!”

STANDINGS*AS OF LAST NIGHT

WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL

(All five International teams will

move on to the playoffs)

W L P

Canada 0 0 0

USA 0 0 0

Japan 0 0 0

Australia 0 0 0

Venezuela 0 0 0

WOMEN’S ELITE(Three Elite teams will move on to

the playoffs)

W L P

White Rock 0 0 0

Renegades Elite 0 0 0

Venezuela E 0 0 0

China Nanjing 0 0 0

California A’s 0 0 0

WOMEN’S SCHEDULETODAY

White Rock vs. California, 10:30 a.m.

Australia vs. Venezuela, 1 p.m.

USA vs. Australia, 3:30 p.m.

California vs. Venezuela E, 3:30 p.m.

Nanjing vs. Renegades E, 3:30 p.m.

Canada vs. Venezuela, 6:30 p.m.

Japan vs. USA, 8:30 p.m.

TOMORROW

Japan vs. Canada, 10:30 a.m.

Venezuela vs. USA, 1 p.m.

Nanjing vs. California, 1 p.m.

Canada vs. Australia, 6:30 p.m.

Renegades E vs. Venezuela E, 6:30 p.m.

Nanjing vs. White Rock, 8:30 p.m.

MONDAY

Venezuela E vs. White Rock, 10:30 a.m.

Japan vs. Venezuela, 1 p.m.

Renegades E vs. Nanjing, 1 p.m.

Australia vs. Japan, 3:30 p.m.

White Rock vs. California, 3:30 p.m.

USA vs. Canada, 6:30 p.m.

Nanjing vs. Venezuela E, 8:30 p.m.

LIVE SCORINGONLINE

“Black Press is proud to be the title media sponsor for the 2011 Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship. We have a long history of supporting local athletics, amateur sports and women’s softball, and we are thrilled for this championship, which will highlight the best women’s players from around the world. We couldn’t be happier for the Open, the athletes and our host cities.”

Team Canada infielder Megan Timph (#14) goes for a mean stretch during the team’s first official practice on Thursday at

Softball City. A Canadian Olympian in 2008, Timph has been with the national squad since 2005. (Surrey Leader photo)

4 CANADIAN OPEN FASTPITCH Saturday, July 9, 2011

As a diabetic softball all-star, Sara Groenewegen constantly overcomes hurdles in her life. She plays on the WR Ren-egades ‘95, and has always dreamed about playing in the Canadian Open Fastpitch Inter-national Championship after being a batgirl a few years ago at the tournament. Now, she is ready to hit the bases and play in the largest fastpitch tournament in Canada, right in her own backyard, in Surrey, B.C.

Did you know...?

A runner will not be out if she leaves the

base after a pitch! A player can leave her

base as soon as the ball leaves the pitch-

ers hand.

Did you know...?

In fastpitch, any time a bunted ball rolls

pass the foul line in to foul territory, it is

called a strike! Whether you have zero,

one, or even two strikes against you, a

bunted foul is a strike!

Did you know...?

Alumnimum bats are not the only type of

bat used in fastpitch. Graphite, carbon,

composite, and other alloys are used, as

well. And, while they’re not as commonly

used, wooden bats are allowed too!

The Senior Women’s National Team warms up yesterday at Softball City. Canada’s 18-player roster was announced

on Wednesday after their selection camp last weekend in Whitehose, Yukon. (Surrey Leader photo)

These fans from the 2010

Canadian Open enjoyed the

hot July weather. As the

action and temperature

heats up in 2011, expect

to see tens of thousands

of fans visiting Softball

City, Cloverdale Athletic Park

and Sunnyside Park in Surrey,

Expect crowded ballparks this July

Did you know? Softball in the city:

Player profile: Fast facts:

The pitcher must start her motion with her feet on the pitching rubber inside the pitch-ing circle. She can only step forward as she pitches. If she steps to the side or backwards, this motion is considered de-ceptive, and the

pitch will be declared illegal (a “balk”). She must remain in the pitcher’s circle as she finishes pitching the ball to home plate. The pitching motion must be continuous. The pitcher may not use a start-and-stop motion prior to delivering the ball.

Author Karen Christensen, in the Encyclopedia of World Sport, notes that soft-ball spread to the United Kingdom because of an American movie,

“A Touch of Class,” which was filmed in London, England and featured a softball game. The sport began to be played in England as a result.

In softball, there are nine total positions on the field: three outfielders and one shortstop, catcher, pitcher, third baseman, second baseman and first base-man.

Did you know?

Did you know?

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FANTASTIC FANATICS

Melanie Matthews leads the National Team

into battle. (Photo courtesy VisionQuest)