BLACKTOWN, Australia - It's hard to believe the second game of an eight-team round-robin could be a must-win situation.

Sounds crazy, right?

Not if your Canada in the women's softball tournament with designs on being one of the four teams to make it into the medal round.

Of course, it was a night when there was a lot that was hard to believe.

Canada lost to New Zealand 3-2 in 10 innings Monday night to Kiwi pitcher Gina Weber. Working the entire 10 innings is pretty impressive.

Especially when you consider she had worked 9 1/3 innings the previous night in a loss to Australia.

Then there was the way the game ended, with each team starting the 10th with a runner on second base according to the International Softball Federation's tiebreaking rule.

Canada, ranked fifth going into the tournament, needed the win to avoid putting themselves in a situation where they would have to beat the tough Australians or Chinese later on. Four wins might get them into the medal round, but that would be tough to attain without a win over New Zealand, a team ranked beneath them.

"We did feel a lot of pressure," said Canadian pitcher Sandy Newsham of Winnipeg. "This was one game we felt we needed to win. Now we have to look at the other games we need to win.

"We said when we came in we needed four wins to make the playoffs. We still have another five games."

Tough, but not impossible, but the truth is Canada now must win four out of five with two of the game against worlds powers.

The Canadians had their chances against Weber, but couldn't string together enough hits to take advantage of her.

"She's a legend in softball," said Canadian second baseman Jackie Lance. "She came out of retirement and my hat is off to her. We couldn't get to her. If we could have put some hits together it would have been different."

The Kiwis executed some great fundamental softball in the top of the 10th. With Melisa Upu (the last out of the previous inning) perched on second because of the tiebreaker, catcher Helen Townsend sacrificed her to third.

Designated hitter Cindy Potae then drove her home with a sacrifice fly.

Canada's Denise Carriere died at third in the bottom of the 10th after being sacrificed over by Cherene Heisl-Boyer. Catcher Colleen Thorburn Smith popped out to third and, after Haley Wickenheiser walked, Erin Woods grounded out to second to end the game.

Canada, no hit by the Americans in its opening game, got its first two runs of the Olympic tournament in the bottom of the first inning after a great at bat against hard-throwing Kiwi pitcher Gina Weber by Lance.

With runners on second and third, she got behind in the count 0-2, but fouled off a pitch and worked the count back to 2-2.

Lance then launched an opposite field single, scoring Sommer West from third and pitcher Sandy Newsham scored when Kiwi catcher Helen Townsend couldn't hang onto the ball.

Newsham pitched herself out of a jam in the top of the third. With none out, Char Pouaka sacrificed runners to second and third, but Hewsham saw rightfielder Kim Dermott line out to first and centrefielder Melisa Upu flew out to right.

The New Zealanders broke through in the fifth when, with runners on first and second, they pulled off a double steal. Rhonda Hira broke for second and Jackie Smith headed for home from third. Lance cut off catcher Colleen Thorburn-Smith's throw in front of the bag at second, but threw high to home, allowing Smith to score.

They tied the game in sixth when Hira cashed in Melanie Hulme from third with a sacrifice fly to right. Hulme was pinch running for Kiri Shaw who had walked. Hulme moved to second on a sacrifice by leadoff hitter Lisa Kersten and went to third on Smith's infield hit.