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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2015
USA Men advance to playoffs with Sagdal's two-run blast en route to 2-1 win over Mexico at Toronto 2015 Pan American Games
TORONTO, Ontario, Canada  — United we stand. Together we rise. The USA Softball Men's National Team claimed their spot in the playoff rounds in a 2-1 win over Mexico at the 2015 Pan American Games the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball announced today. In a close fought ball game, Team USA came out on top thanks in large to a two-run blast by Pat Sagdal (Richland, Wash.) and the combined pitching efforts of Gerald Muizelaar (Grand Forks, N.D.) and Tony Mancha (Las Cruces, N.M.). With the win, the U.S. earned the No. 4 seed in the playoff rounds and will face No. 3 seed Venezuela at 4:30 p.m. EDT tomorrow afternoon.
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Click here for live stats, box scores and more from the Pan American Games
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"We needed something like this," said Head Coach Denny Bruckert (Gillespie, Ill.). "Gerald pitched one heck of a game and Tony came in strong to close it out. Really proud of our boys because we've lost some tough games this week but we're right where we need to be."
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Team USA would get two base runners on to start the game as Derrick Zechman (Watsontown, Pa.) reached on a one-out walk and moved to second on a single from Matt Palazzo (Pleasant Hill, Iowa). That momentum was halted, however, as a double-play ended the at-bat with the U.S. unable to capitalize. Mexico would get a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning, but the U.S. defense and the strong pitching of U.S. starter Muizelaar kept the Mexican offense from jumping to an early lead.
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Both sides would continue to get runners on the base through the next three innings until Team USA took the lead in the top of the fifth. When a walk to Nick Mullins (Toms River, N.J.) put the leadoff runner on base, Sagdal connected for a shot, blasting the ball over the center field fence to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead.
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"Anytime you hit a home run it's a big moment," said Sagdal. "That hit couldn't have happened at a better time."
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Mexico responded in the bottom of the inning, closing the lead with a run of their own. A hit batter put the leadoff runner on base who then advanced to second on a wild pitch. The U.S. would get two outs to keep the runner at bay before a single to centerfield plated a run. Mexico would follow up with another single, putting runners on the corner to prompt a pitching change for Team USA as Mancha entered in relief for Muizelaar. Mancha got the U.S. out of a jam, getting the next batter out with a high pop up to Mullins at shortstop to keep the U.S. lead 2-1.
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That lead would hold through the end of the game with the Red, White and Blue allowing just one hit through the final two innings on defense. With the win, the U.S. locked in their spot in the playoff rounds and are set for a rematch against Venezuela. Team USA faced Venezuela in their third game of the Pan American Games, dropping a 3-1 seventh-inning decision.
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Muizelaar earned the win, pitching four and two-third innings with two strikeouts and one run allowed. Mancha pitched the final two and one-third innings, issuing three strikeouts while giving up just one hit.
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"Our backs were against the wall and we came out swinging," said Zechman. "We all stuck together.  We knew it was going to be a grind and we found a way to win. Every pitch is going to count against Venezuela and it's going to be one of the biggest games of our lives. Our pitching has been great all week, we just need to find a way to score more runs."
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Team USA returns to the field tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. EDT game against Venezuela. The winner of the game stays alive, facing the loser of the No. 1 seed Canada vs. No. 2 seed Argentina game. Live stats will be available throughout the Pan American Games and fans at home can follow along with recaps and more at ASAUSASoftball.com.
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About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 74 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.5 million. ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visithttp://www.asausasoftball.com/.
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Codi Warren
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Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications
Amateur Softball Association of America/USA Softball
Office 405.425.3431 | Cell 405. 420. 2817
