愛污传媒

Sports

Canada's softball team opens Tokyo Olympics with 4-0 win over Mexico

Canada's Emma Entzminger throws to a teammate during the softball game between Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 21, 2021, in Fukushima, Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Canada's Emma Entzminger throws to a teammate during the softball game between Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 21, 2021, in Fukushima, Japan. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Share
FUKUSHIMA, Japan -

Canada's softball veterans came to Japan with unfinished Olympic business that's gnawed at them for 13 long years.

One led the offensive charge in the sport's return to the biggest stage Wednesday, while a teammate making her debut under the brightest of spotlights continued to write an incredible comeback story at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games.

Jennifer Salling drove in two runs and Sara Groenewegen threw four no-hit innings as 

Canada opened its softball tournament with a tidy 4-0 victory over Mexico at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday.'

Salling, who went 2-for-2 with a solo homer and two walks, is one of four players remaining from the 2008 team that finished fourth after a crushing defeat to Australia at the Beijing Olympics.

The 34-year-old from Port Coquitlam, B.C., Kaleigh Rafter, Danielle Lawrie and Lauren Regula are looking to right that crushing wrong in the twilight of their careers.

Groenewegen, meanwhile, was dominant in registering three strikeouts against just one walk in her Olympic curtain-raiser three years after spending roughly 10 days in a medically induced coma with Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia.

Given a survival chance of roughly three per cent at the time of her hospitalization, the 26-year-old from Surrey, B.C., was nearly perfect in her first action at the Games.

Rafter and Kelsey Harshman each drove in Victoria Hayward for Canada, which entered the six-team event ranked third in the world.

Dallas Escobedo allowed four runs on seven hits and four walks to take the loss in No. 5 Mexico's first-ever Olympic softball appearance.

Softball kicked off the Tokyo Games, which don't officially get going until Friday's opening ceremony, earlier in the day when second-seed Japan thumped No. 8 Australia 8-1.

The top-ranked United States then downed No. 9 Italy 2-0.

Canada, which failed to win a softball medal in four previous tries between 1996 and 2008 before the sport was dropped for the last two Games, now turns its attention to the Americans for Thursday's marquee matchup.

Exactly 25 years to the day after softball made its Olympic debut in Atlanta, Canada opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning on RBI singles by Rafter and Salling, but Mexico got out of a bases-loaded jam to avoid more damage.

Salling then pushed the lead to 3-0 with a solo homer to right field in the third for the Canadians, who took bronze at the Women's Softball World Cup in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Larissa Franklin singled in the fourth to plate Hayward and make it 4-0 before Escobedo got out of another bases-loaded situation.

Jenna Caira allowed Mexico's first hit after coming on in relief in the fifth, and Lawrie pitched the final two innings for the Canadians.

The top-4 teams in the round-robin tournament will have a shot at medals, with the No. 1 and 2 seeds playing for gold, while the third- and fourth-place nations will battle for bronze.

Fans have been barred from almost every event at these Olympics because of COVID-19, which caused the Games to be delayed by one year.

The first two days of softball are being played at the Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium, located about 240 kilometres from the main Olympic venues in Tokyo, and some 65 kilometres from the site of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people and caused a devastating meltdown at a nuclear power plant.

The rest of the softball schedule is set for Yokohama, just outside Tokyo.

Japan upset the U.S. in the 2008 gold-medal game before softball and baseball were dropped from the Olympic docket in 2012 and 2016, and then brought back for Tokyo.

Both sports have already been nixed from the 2024 Paris Games, but are likely to be restored for 2028 in Los Angeles.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2021.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.

Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.

Canada

  • U.S. authorities earlier this year knew the whereabouts of a former Canadian Olympian who is now on the run for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking ring and orchestrating murders in Ontario, according to Ontario court documents.

  • The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.

  • Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the city's Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough on Thursday.

  • Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon 鈥 and it won't be until Monday before the makeup of the legislature is finalized.

World

Politics

Health

Sci-Tech

Entertainment

  • A new organization that aims to help people struggling with addiction officially launched in Ottawa Thursday, named after the late Matthew Perry.

Business

Lifestyle

  • A Toronto man who only recently checked a Lotto 6/49 lottery ticket he bought back in June is now $2.5 million richer.

  • A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

Sports

Autos

Local Spotlight

A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

  • With the final results of the B.C. election still pending, speculation is rampant about what concessions the Greens might ask for to prop up a potential NDP minority 鈥 and it could be a common philosophy about health care that ultimately helps forge an alliance.

  • Crews removed approximately 50 tonnes of "fatbergs" from the sewer system in Richmond, B.C., earlier this month, according to Metro Vancouver.

  • The Canadian government's plan to reduce the number of immigrants entering the country could impact B.C.'s housing affordability.

  • U.S. authorities earlier this year knew the whereabouts of a former Canadian Olympian who is now on the run for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking ring and orchestrating murders in Ontario, according to Ontario court documents.

  • Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.

  • It's a dream for many Canadians, trying to save up enough money for a down payment on their very first home. That was also the dream for the Esmeralda family, a family of five with two dogs who currently live in a Scarborough apartment building.

  • Alberta's government and meat producers worry a bill about preventing and preparing for future pandemics could be harmful to the agriculture industry.

  • A Calgary business owner is frustrated and looking for answers after Google removed his business' profile without warning, resulting in a loss of bookings and damage to his company鈥檚 reputation.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes handed the Calgary Flames their first loss in regulation this season with Thursday's 4-2 victory at the Saddledome.

  • NEW THIS MORNING

    NEW THIS MORNING

    CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at things to do in Ottawa and eastern Ontario this weekend.

  • The Ottawa Police Service has identified the woman who was stabbed to death at Paul Landry Park on Uplands Drive Thursday morning.

  • A new organization that aims to help people struggling with addiction officially launched in Ottawa Thursday, named after the late Matthew Perry.

  • Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the city's Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough on Thursday.

  • October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and on Thursday the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation held a brunch in downtown Montreal featuring a special guest: Matthew Knowles.

  • A new tree-planting pilot project in Plateau-Mont-Royal is drawing criticism for eliminating parking spaces in a borough already facing limited parking, as well as for its cost.

  • Some Edmonton public school support staff walked off the job Thursday morning, after the province stepped in on Wednesday to prevent strike action.

  • The man who cut up the body of his grandson's mother is going to prison after the Alberta Court of Appeal overturned his previous sentence.

  • The City of Edmonton says staying proactive has helped keep its 90,000 elm trees relatively untouched by the devastating Dutch elm disease (DED).

  • The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.

  • WorkSafeNB is investigating after a man was killed in a workplace incident at a tire shop in Moncton, N.B., last week.

  • The Nova Scotia Liberals are accusing former member Fred Tilley of accessing party files one day before he crossed the aisle to join the Progressive Conservatives.

  • The Manitoba man who brutally murdered his partner and two young children stood in court, voice wavering, and apologized for his actions that ended the lives of three people he said he loved very much.

  • A pair of councillors in the RM of Springfield plan on bringing forward a motion to opt out of Plan 20-50 when they are first able to.

  • A Winnipeg teenager has been charged with multiple offences after a stolen car crashed in St. Boniface Thursday morning.

  • After two days of advance polls, more than 119,000 people have already cast a ballot in-person for the 2024 Saskatchewan election.

  • A man is dead and two other people were injured in a two vehicle collision north of Regina on Wednesday evening.

  • Regina police says a reward of up to $50,000 is available for information that leads to the arrest of Daniel 'Juma' Drie Atem, who officers say is responsible for a murder that occurred downtown in the summer of 2023.

  • Fire crews responded to a house fire in St. Clements Thursday night.

  • Erick Buhr, the man on trial for second-degree murder in the death of his grandmother Viola Erb, took the stand Thursday to testify in his own defense.

  • One Ontario couple is taking a different approach to growing their family.

  • The Saskatchewan RCMP is calling off its dangerous persons alert after two people were arrested in the Tobin Lake area Thursday afternoon.

  • A former tire recycling company in Saskatoon is announcing additional layoffs months after a dispute with the provincial government.

  • Saskatoon police are investigating a series of suspicious fires that were lit in the Mayfair neighbourhood on Thursday morning.

  • The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.

  • The Gathering Place board chair Peter Gregory is vowing to fight to keep the doors to the Cassells Street soup kitchen open after the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board denied their six-figure funding request.

  • Greater Sudbury Police have released a photo of a person they say escaped by driving their motor vehicle on a sidewalk past pedestrians and then the wrong way down a one-way street.

  • The London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) has released findings on their study looking into mood and anxiety disorders in young adults.

  • When she took the stand at a London courthouse on Thursday, 21-year-old Kaiah Edmonds testified that she arrived at the bush party off of Pack Road in a vehicle driven by one of the accused - Carlos Guerra Guerra.

  • Hundreds of students got a taste of the numerous jobs available in Ontario鈥檚 agriculture industry earlier this month in Listowel.

  • The cost of living is increasing, from groceries to gas, prices are consistently going up, and now there鈥檚 controversy surrounding paying for parking at hospitals.

  • A haunted house in the Ontario Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.

  • Emergency crews were called to attend a fire that broke out in a grassy area in Barrie on Thursday morning.

  • A former Lakeshore man is facing a 10-year prison sentence after he was found guilty on drug charges.

  • Speeding along Walker Road is a concern for residents who live, work and drive through the major Windsor artery, but according to one city councillor, implementing traffic calming measures is not a feasible solution.

  • The Chatham-Kent Police Service is investigating an indecent act report it received.

  • As the RCMP prepare to strap cameras to the chests of front-line police officers, an expert warns they might not work 鈥 at least, not in the way some had hoped.

  • Mounties on Vancouver Island are investigating after a set of popular driftwood sculptures was reportedly stolen last week.

  • Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon 鈥 and it won't be until Monday before the makeup of the legislature is finalized.

  • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

  • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

  • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

  • The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass deserves a better shot at becoming a significant tourism hub than the UCP government is giving it, an NDP shadow minister said as the southeastern Alberta community gears up for a coal mining plebiscite.

  • A three-game road trip across the prairies got off on a sour note Wednesday night as the Medicine Hat Tigers defeated the Calgary Hitmen 4-2.

  • A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.

  • A critical piece of the Sault鈥檚 homeless outreach strategy is almost ready to hit the road.

  • Police seized drugs, $70,000 and a large gold chain in a drug trafficking bust earlier this month in Thunder Bay.

  • An annual event held in Sault Ste. Marie is back for the 29th year to ensure local kids get the winter clothing they need as the temperature dips.

N.L.

Shopping Trends

The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

Stay Connected
Follow 愛污传媒