Pitcher Autumn Mills throwing from the mound before an exhibition game to help decide the final spots on the Canadian Women's Pan Am baseball team in Vaughan, Ontario on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. Mills of London, Ont. held Australia hitless until allowing a one-out single in the sixth on Sept. 6, 2016 at the Women’s Baseball World Cup in South Korea.Peter Power/The Globe and Mail
Canada opened the super round of the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup with a 5-3 win over Australia on Wednesday.
After building a five-run lead and holding Australia hitless through five innings, Canada withstood a late surge by the Aussies.
"Credit to our group for sticking together tonight and overcoming some late adversity," Canadian manager Andre Lachance said. "Pitching, defence and timely hitting – we got contributions from a lot of players tonight."
None were perhaps bigger than starter Autumn Mills of London, Ont., who held Australia hitless until allowing a one-out single in the sixth. Mills worked out of trouble leaving the bases loaded in the fourth and struck out six in six innings before Heidi Northcott of Rocky Mountain House, Alta., got the save with a 1-2-3 seventh.
"I felt great through five," Mills said. "I think I tightened up a bit sitting on the bench in the top of the sixth, but I was able to battle through."
After Canada scored three in the sixth to take a five-run lead, Mills walked and hit a batter to start the bottom of the inning before a one-out single ended the no-hit bid and loaded the bases. A walk brought in one run before two scored when a ball got by first baseman Kate Psota of Burlington, Ont.
"We had confidence that Autumn could finish the inning," Lachance said. "She had a high pitch count but we didn't want to bring someone in from the bullpen in that situation."
Burlington's Jennifer Gilroy got things started for Canada, hitting two-out single in the second to score Jenna Flannigan of Cornwall, Ont., from second base. In the fifth, Kelsey Lalor of Red Deer, Alta., singled to bring home Niki Boyd from second. Canada then added three runs in the sixth.
Venezuela lost 7-2 to Japan on Wednesday while Taiwan hammered South Korea 11-1.