Momentum builds as Team Canada improves to 2-0 at Women's Baseball World Cup qualifiers

Team Canada came out swinging and didn't stop on Wednesday night, earning a decisive, 22-3 win over Hong Kong at the Women's Baseball World Cup qualifiers.

The win tied Canada with Team USA, with the two squads sitting atop the standings as they prepare to face each other on Thursday night. And while the game will no doubt be a tough one for Canada, head coach Anthony Pluta said the more the Canadians play, the more they're coming together.

"Extremely happy with where we're at," Pluta said. "I think we're swinging the bat well. Defensively we're solid. I couldn't be happier with the pitchers. I think we're in a really good spot."

Canada got started early on in Wednesday's game, putting two runs on the board in the first inning.

And they didn't slow down in subsequent at-bats, bringing in five runs in during the second inning, three in the third, and six each in the fourth and fifth; Hong Kong was held scoreless in all but the third inning, when three of its players crossed home plate.

The score led to the invocation of the tournament's mercy rule, and only five innings were played instead of the usual seven (the mercy rule comes into play when one team builds up a lead of at least 10 runs after five innings of play).

By game's end, Canada had 16 hits to Hong Kong's two.

"That's what you've gotta do to win games," Pluta said. "You've gotta score, and you gotta hit to be able to score."

A major contributor to Canada's success on Wednesday was shortstop Alexane Fournier, who went five-for-six at the plate, scoring three runs and recording two RBIs.

"That was a very great game," she said. "We knew that it was going to be an important game."

"[Wednesday] was a great day to just improve my confidence, and be better tomorrow. That's all I need."

That confidence may prove critical on Thursday. The United States is also sitting on a 2-0 record as thanks to a 14-0 win over South Korea and a 3-2 victory over Australia.

Canada's first win of the tournament, meanwhile, came Tuesday night, when the team defeated Mexico 9-1.

"I think it's good for momentum," Canada catcher Kaitlyn Ross, who went three-for-five with two runs and two RBIs on Wednesday, said of the back-to-back victories. "It's huge for us to go up against a team like the States, and I think it's good to have these two wins under our belts to give us a little bit of confidence."

"I know once our bats get going they they get pretty hot, and I always tell myself the harder the pitching, the further the ball goes. So I think once we get contact we'll be in good shape."

Team Canada plays Team United States at Port Arthur Stadium on Thursday night. Game time is 7:30.