Box Score | PxP | Cumulative Stats

THUNDER BAY, Ontario – USA Baseball’s Women’s National Team continued its hot start to its friendship series with Canada on Friday night, securing a 7-1 win to improve to 2-0.

Despite Canada scoring first, the U.S. plated seven unanswered runs across the first four innings en route to the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Canada took its first lead of the series in the first inning, plating a run on an RBI groundout with runners at the corners.
• Canada’s lead was short-lived though, as the United States scored four runs in the bottom of the first to take a three-run lead. Malaika Underwood started the spark by hitting a single to left center, and then back-to-back errors brought her home to knot the score a 1-1. Kylee Lahners roped a 2-RBI double down the left field line to bring across the go-ahead run, and then she scored on another Canadian defensive miscue for the fourth run of the inning.
• The U.S. extended its lead to 5-1 in the second when Kelsie Whitmore delivered a run-scoring single to drive in Alex Hugo from third, who started the side with an outfield single.
• Jade Gortarez and Jillian Alabayati made it 6-1 in the third inning when they strung together back-to-back doubles on one out.
• The final run of the game came in the fourth inning, making it 7-1 when Ashton Lansdell scored on Kelsie Whitmore’s RBI groundout to the shortstop after hitting her third triple of the series to left center.

OF NOTE

• Alex Hugo led all players offensively with a 2-for-4 performance with a run scored, while Kelsie Whitmore and Kylee Lahners tallied two runs batted in apiece.
• Marti Sementelli was credited with the win as she tossed three scoreless innings out of the pen with two strikeouts.
• Olivia Pichardo fanned a team-high five batters in her first career start on the mound for the Stars and Stripes, while Niki Eckert hurled the final inning of the contest in shutout fashion.
• Through two games the U.S. is outscoring Canada, 23-3.

ON DECK

• The teams will meet on Saturday, July 30, for game three of the series. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. ET at Baseball Central in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned to @USABaseballWNT on Twitter for the most up-to-date news about the 2022 Women's National Team.