Canada made their World Series debut the second day, facing the 1-0 ASOFEM (Association of Feminine Softball) Latin American team from Maunabo, Puerto Rico. Latin America, already having tallied a win over the West from Day 1, came out to play again, as they finished off the Windsor South Canadians from Windsor, Ontario, 11-0.
Coastal Point • Ruslana Lambert
Latin America's Glorily Lozado sets herself to advance on contact.
With a quiet start to the game, and steady pitching from both sides, ASOFEM was the first to speak up. A smack to the left-field fence put Diane Rivera on second, before she made her way home on Bianka Steidel’s double. A subsequent single and second-base advance from Yolangelys Rodriguez gave Latin America a 2-0 lead in the fourth.
The hits continued in the fifth as singles from Kiara Nazario and Gloria Alvaraz each brought in runs. Two batters were walked on loaded bases for two more runs before Steidel capped off the sixth inning with an RBI to bring the lead to eight.
Nichole Rivera led off the seventh inning with a solo homer over the center field fence. Starting pitcher Annette Cruz and catcher Quetsy Colon rallied an RBI each for Latin America to seal the game.
“Canada was a great contender and we don’t take anything away from them,” said ASOFEM’s manager Carlos Garcia. “We knew we would have to play our best against them. It was a very important win.”
With two victories, Latin America pushes forward to come out strong.
“Yesterday, it happened, too,” Garcia added. “We were behind, but we work up to the same level as our competition and move above. I coach them and they work hard to do what they need to do. We need to be ready.”
Coastal Point • Ruslana Lambert
Canada's katie Lauer prepares to fire across the diamond during her game against Latin America.
Cruz finished the evening with five strikeouts in four innings, and winning pitcher Magdaly Arroyo closed the last two innings with two strikeouts.
In the past, Puerto Rico has become very familiar with the international spotlight of the World Series. In the last five years, the town of Maunabo, Puerto Rico, has produced softball teams competing in the four age groups of the Little League World Series, and is the only community that has produced international teams that won championships in three divisions: the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Ore. (2001), the Little League Senior Softball World Series in Roxana (2004) and the Junior League Softball World Series in Seattle, Wash. (2007).