VIDEO: Canada Cup starts with dominant Team Canada win vs. Brazil in Surrey

Published 10:05 am Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Team Canada started the 2026 International Canada Cup Softball Championship with a dominant, 12-1 win over Brazil at South Surrey’s Softball City Monday (July 6). The tournament, which draws more than 1,500 athletes and spectators each year, goes until Sunday (July 12). (Lathanuel Photography/Contributed to Peace Arch News)

Canada Cup organizing committee chair Greg Timm speaks to a few Team Canada athletes at Softball City prior to Monday’s (July 6) game in South Surrey. (Tricia Leslie photo/Peace Arch News)

Maple Ridge’s Larissa Franklin delivered a strong offensive performance in Team Canada’s 12-1 win vs. Brazil at Canada Cup in South Surrey Monday (July 7). (Lathanuel Photography/Contributed to Peace Arch News)

White Rock/South Surrey’s own Sara Groenewegen, who now coaches at Stanford University in the U.S., speaks to media ahead of the Monday (July 7) game. (Tricia Leslie photo/Peace Arch News)

Langley’s Morgan Reimer speaks at the media availability Monday (July 6). (Tricia Leslie photo/Peace Arch News)

Victoria’s Emma Entzminger played in Monday’s (July 6) game vs. Brazil before returning to work a 24-hour shift as a firefighter for the City of Victoria Tuesday (July 7). She’ll return Wednesday (July 8). (Lathanuel Photography/Contributed to Peace Arch News)

Maple Ridge’s Larissa Franklin delivered a strong offensive performance in Team Canada’s 12-1 win vs. Brazil at Canada Cup in South Surrey Monday (July 7). Here, she speaks to media prior to the game.(Tricia Leslie photo/Peace Arch News)

Team Canada started the way they mean to continue at the 2026 Canada Cup International Softball Championship with a dominant, 12-1 victory over Brazil Monday at Softball City in South Surrey.

The Canadian Women’s National Team faced Brazil in its first game on diamond No. 1 Monday evening (July 6), with Cloverdale’s Grace Messmer leading the offensive charge, blasting two home runs — including a grand slam — and driving in five runs as Canada broke the game open with an 11-run outburst over the third and fourth innings.

Delta native Kelsey Harshman, who missed the 2025 Canada Cup due to the birth of her first child, added two RBIs, while White Rock/South Surrey pitcher Sara Groenewegen earned the win in the circle, allowing just one run over three innings, a Canada Cup release shared.

Canada also received strong offensive performances from Maple Ridge’s Larissa Franklin and Erika Polidori, who each collected two hits, while the Canadian defence played a flawless game without committing an error. The game ended after four innings.

At a media availability prior to Monday’s game, Greg Timm, chair of the organizing committee for Canada Cup, noted the ultimate goal for Team Canada goes further than winning Canada Cup.

“It’s the 31st version of (Canada Cup). We’re awfully excited to have this tournament in play … we have 15 international teams from 13 countries here.” Timm said. “We’re most excited about our Team Canada, who’s freshly off their qualification for the World Championships that they qualified for two weeks ago in Czechia, so they’re coming out of that event with lots of momentum and they are ready to play.”

One of Canada Cup’s key purposes is to help Team Canada prepare for international competition, Timm added.

“The ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2028 uh Los Angeles Olympics.”

Head coach Kaleigh Rafter agreed Team Canada has had a good start.

“So far we’ve had a great summer to start, but we’re looking forward. We have two more major events, including this one at Canada Cup, so we’re looking to continue that momentum that we started this summer with,” she said, sharing there’s players from all over Canada on the team, including several from B.C.

White Rock/South Surrey pitcher Groenewegen, who currently coaches at Stanford University, grew up coming to — and competing in — Canada Cup “for my whole life pretty much.”

“Now I’m in the shoes of the players, hopefully being able to be an influence on little kids growing up to do the same,” she said, sharing that her experience as a coach has helped her see the game with a new perspective as a player.

“I think it’s a unique perspective. I think it allows me to see things from the balcony rather than the dance floor, which is a concept I’ve learned at the university. But I think just being able to see the whole picture is an interesting lens.”

Being a pitcher can add a different kind of pressure, she said.

“Being a pitcher, you have the ball in your hand on every play of the game. I mean, I think pitchers are a different breed. They like the pressure.”

Victoria’s Emma Entzminger played Monday, but went straight to the ferry after in order to work a 24-hour shift Tuesday (July 7) as a City of Victoria firefighter before returning to Surrey on Wednesday to continue representing Canada.

Franklin, a longtime Canada Cup attendee and player, was pleased to be back this year.

“It really doesn’t get old. I love this tournament. I love the Canada Cup. Just putting that jersey on every single time seeing Canada across my chest, seeing people on the stands with Canadian flags … it feels great to come home every single year, and it’s it really is an honor to be able to wear it every single time,” she said.

After being diagnosed with lymphoma last year, Franklin was grateful to be back doing one of her favourite things.

“It was (to) play this sport I love, and that’s what kept pushing me, and so to get the call that I was in remission three days before I tried out it … I can’t put it into words,” she shared. “It’s crazy looking back at that year, and what it actually took to be on the field … to now be full health, to have full energy and to be able to go out and just play with my friends and now make this push towards the Olympic games with a whole new perspective — it’s something that I’ll take with me and that I’m grateful that I experienced.”

Team Canada returns to action Tuesday (July 7) when they take on Venezuela — a team that overcame significant challenges to be at Canada Cup after a devastating earthquake last week — at 6 p.m. at Softball City.

For full schedule and ticket information, visit canadacup.com