Although rosters are bound to change over the next couple years, softball fans will be getting a taste of things to come next week as the Canadian and American senior women’s fast pitch teams square off in a pair of games Tuesday and Wednesday in Whitehorse.
As preparation for 2012, when Whitehorse will host the Softball Federation XIII Women’s World Championship, each evening the two teams will play an exhibition game open to the public.
“This is a test event for the World Championships (here in Whitehorse),” said George Arcand, executive director of Softball Yukon and chair of the 2012 Organizing Committee. “These two teams were in Vancouver so it was a great opportunity to get them here relatively easily.
“Both teams went to Vancouver from Caracas and are playing exhibition games there.”
The two teams are fresh from the World Championship last week in Caracas, Venezuela, where the Americans took gold. Canada scored seventh-inning runs in low scoring games against Australia and China to meet Japan for a chance to play for gold, but fell 12-3, taking bronze.
“Both teams are medal winners in a week-old world championships and both teams will be competing in 2012 and it should be good to have it all here,” said Arcand.
The two games will take place at the Pepsi Softball Centre starting at 6:30 p.m. on Diamond 2. Admission is $5 at the gate.
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com