OKLAHOMA CITY — Kaleigh Rafter homered and drove in three runs, and Canada beat the United States 4-3 on Saturday at the World Cup of Softball.
The Americans (2-1), featuring no Olympic veterans on this year’s squad, are now in jeopardy of missing the World Cup final for the first time.
Despite never having won the title, Canada (3-1) is the only team ever to beat the U.S. more than once at the World Cup. Before she became a two-time national player of the year and Women’s College World Series winner at Washington, Danielle Lawrie beat the U.S. in the first ever World Cup game in 2005. The U.S. hadn’t lost an international game in three years before that defeat.
The Canadians also beat the U.S. in last year’s event, although the Americans rebounded to win their fourth straight championship.
Rafter, who formerly played at Florida State, put Canada ahead 2-0 in the first and Jennifer Caira (2-0) and Joceyln Cater never let the lead get away.
Keilani Ricketts had a pinch hit RBI single in the seventh, and the U.S. had the tying run on third when Stacy May-Johnson grounded back to Caira to end the game.
Melanie Matthews started the game by smacking a ground-rule double to the gap in right, and Canada quickly got to Chelsea Thomas (0-1). Victoria Hayward drew a walk before Rafter lined a two-run double to right. Thomas, who got the save in the Americans’ first two World Cup games, let Rafter get to third on a wild pitch but then avoided any further damage in the first.
Rafter answered Kaitlin Cochran’s solo homer in the second with her own blast to center in the third, and Canada extended its lead to 4-1 on Hayward’s RBI groundout in the fourth.
Cochran singled and scored on Valerie Arioto’s double in the fourth. Cater snuffed out a U.S. rally in the sixth by striking out the side to leave two runners stranded. Caira then re-entered with two aboard and no outs in the seventh to finish it off.
