JEFF LATZKE,AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY – Jennifer Yee hit a two-run home run and Melanie Matthews doubled in two more runs as Canada snapped the United States’ 22-game winning streak at the World Cup of Softball with a 5-2 victory Sunday night in a game that had more than three hours of rain delays.
The U.S. pitching staff hadn’t allowed a run or an extra-base hit in 28 innings at this year’s World Cup before Matthews laced a double through the infield that got past right-fielder Kaitlin Cochran. That started a five-run third inning for the Canadians (2-3), the most runs allowed in a World Cup game by the Americans – let alone an inning.
The United States (4-1) had been undefeated at last three World Cups, after losing twice at the first one in 2005. The Americans are still locked into Monday night’s championship game.
Canada started out with three straight losses at the World Cup but rallied late Saturday night to beat the USA Futures squad made up of the best American players left off the national team.
Yee, a college player of the year finalist for Georgia Tech last season, had an RBI single and a game-ending two-run double in that rally. Then she delivered another big blow against Eileen Canney (1-1).
Canney, a U.S. national team rookie, had thrown a two-hit shutout in her World Cup debut a day earlier but ran into trouble right away in the third. Erin Cumpstone singled and moved to second on a sacrifice before Canney walked No. 9 hitter Joey Lye. Matthews followed with her double and Caitlin Lever added her own RBI double to left before Yee’s drive over the right-field fence.
The Americans – who sat through a 2 hour, 42-minute rain delay in the fifth inning – never mounted a rally. The start of the game was also delayed 41 minutes by lightning and light rain.
Canada also beat the U.S. in the first game ever played at the World Cup back in 2005 behind a five-hitter by Danielle Lawrie. At that time, Lawrie was 18 years old and hadn’t yet embarked on a career at Washington that would earn her the 2009 Women’s College World Series title and two college player of the year awards.
This time, Lawrie came on to relieve Jenna Caira (1-1) after the rain delay and got into a jam in the seventh before Caira re-entered to close out the game. Caira walked Jessica Mendoza to load the bases before Kaitlin Cochran hit a sharp grounder to the right side that hit Mendoza’s rear foot to end the game.
Canada was to play Japan (2-3) later Sunday night with a chance to reach the championship game despite the dreadful start. A game scheduled for Sunday night between the United States and the USA Futures squad (2-3) was pushed back to Monday.