Canada Strikes Silver at Pan Am Championships

October 9, 2006

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 9, 2006

 

Canada Strikes Silver at Pan Am Championships

 

(HERMOSILLO - Mexico) -  Canada will come home with the silver medal after a 3-2 extra inning loss to Venezuela at the Pan American Softball Championship in Hermosillo, Mexico.

 

Canada jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, BC) launched a 2 run shot over the center field fence scoring Ryan Wolfe (London, ON) ahead of him.

 

Canada was backed by another outstanding pitching performance from Frank Cox (Owen Sound, ON) who held the lead until the bottom of the seventh inning when Edwin Linares led off with a single followed by a home run to left center by Venezuelan first baseman John Zambrano. NickUnderhill replaced Cox and gave up a single to Joe Vilchez but was able to retire the next three batters to keep the game tied and send into extra innings.

 

Canada was unable to score runner Rob Giesbrecht who started the inning at second base under the international tie breaker rule. Iran Paez knocked a single up the middle in the Venezuelan half of the eighth bringing home Elis Ugueto giving Venezuela the winning run.

 

The Canadians had chances to put the game away earlier in the contest however, left 8 runners on base and failed to capitalize with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.

 

“We’re pleased that we got the opportunity to get international experience for the younger players" stated Mark Smith, Head Coach.  "We came up short in our goal of winning the event but we achieved all of our other objectives along the way.”

 

In earlier Pan American Championship action, Canada advanced to the gold medal game with a 5-1 win over Argentina.

 

Canada scored once in the second inning on a RBI single by Ian Fehrman (Townsend, ON) bringing home Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, NL) who had singled to lead off the inning. 

 

Fehrman added another RBI single in the third once again bringing home Mullaley. Scott Newitt (Delta, BC) also scored on a Derek Mayson groundout.

 

Newitt added an RBI single himself in the sixth knocking home Kevin Schellenberg (Squamish, BC) who had earlier tripled home Jeff Ellsworth (Alberton, PE). Ellsworth had entered the game as a pinch runner for Pat Mackintosh (Saskatoon, SK) who had reached on a fielder’s choice.

 

Underhill and Cox combined on a no hitter for the win. Underhill struck out 11 in his six innings of work while Cox struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced in the seventh. Argentina’s only run came as a result of a walk and a throwing error by shortstop Schellenberg.  Sebastian Gervasutti took the loss for Argentina.

 

 

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For more information, please contact

 

Rick Picard

Director, Marketing and Communications

Softball Canada

rpicard@softball.ca

(613) 523-3386