By Adam Morissete

Baseball Canada

WASHINGTON, DC – A day after taking two games to start the Canada/USA summer development series, the Women’s National Team fell, 8-4, to the U.S. Women’s National Team Development Program at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy on Thursday.

The Women’s National Team program has 31 athletes split into two teams this week in the U.S. capital to play an exhibition series against USA Baseball’s Women’s National Team Development Program.

Box score: USA 8 Canada 4

Jade Gortarez drove in four Team USA runs as part of a 4-for-6 day at the plate to lead Team USA to their first victory in the series.

Canada had 10 hits and walked 10 times but left 13 runners on base, while Team USA had 12 hits, eight walks and left 14 runners on base in the nine-inning contest.

Claire Eccles (White Rock, B.C.) doubled in the game’s first run in the second and Kate Psota (Burlington, Ont.) put Canada in front, 2-1, in the third with a RBI single before the U.S. scored three runs in the fourth and added two more in the fifth to take a five-run lead.

With bases loaded, Gortarez singled in a run off Team Canada reliever Sarah Moir (Winnipeg, Man.) before a hit batter and walk brought in two more to give the U.S. a 4-2 lead.

Julia Jodouin (Sudbury, Ont.) drove in two runs on a single to left in the eighth that brought Canada to within three before the U.S. added an insurance marker in the ninth.

Starter Katie Hagen (Dartmouth, N.S.) gave Team Canada three innings of work on the mound and allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out one batter.

Up Next: The series resumes Friday at the Washington Nationals Youth Academy with a nine-inning contest slated for 5 pm E.T. Follow live here: http://sidearmstats.com/usabaseball/national_team/