This Month's News
July2015

Canada Beats Puerto Rico 1-0 to Earn Double-Life

July 24, 2015

Toronto, ON

 

Canada Beats Puerto Rico 1-0 to Earn Double-Life in Pan American Games Playoff Round

The following is a media release issued by Softball Canada.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24th, 2015
 

Canada Beats Puerto Rico 1-0 to Earn Double-Life
in Pan American Games Playoff Round


(Ajax, ON) Canada’s Women’s Softball Team finished the preliminary round of the Pan American Games with a 1-0 win over Puerto Rico to secure second place heading into the playoffs, and guaranteeing itself a medal in the process. Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, BC) was a force in the pitcher’s circle yet again, earning the win after pitching the complete game shutout. Jen Yee (North Delta, BC) led the team in hits, contributing two to Canada’s total of four and Joey Lye (Toronto, ON) delivered the game-winning double in the tight one-run game.
 
Canada started the top of the first inning by shutting down the Puerto Rican offence with a strikeout and two groundouts. They responded with Yee hitting a leadoff single to start the bottom half of the inning, but after a fly ball was caught for an out, Puerto Rico turned a double play to retire Yee out at second and Kaleigh Rafter (Guelph, ON) at first. Groenewegen came out firing in the top of the second, striking out the side. The bottom half of the second was no more successful for Canada, leaving one runner on base.
 
In the top of the third inning, Puerto Rico managed to get on base with a single by Galis Lozada, but the team was unable to cash her in. Canada got what would prove to be the only run of the game in the bottom half of the inning, with Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, BC) reaching on a fielder’s choice and scoring on a solid double to right field Lye. The fourth inning proved scoreless for both teams, with each leaving a runner on base.
 
The same pattern emerged for Puerto Rico in the top of the fifth, with Dayanira Diaz reaching first on an error but not getting the chance to score. In the bottom of the inning, the Canadians managed to load the bases, stringing together a double by Franklin and another single by Yee, followed by Lye reaching on a walk. However, with only one out, pitcher Karla Claudio managed to force two fly balls from the Canadian offence, getting out of the inning with no runs crossing the plate.  
 
The sixth inning went scoreless again for both teams, leaving the score 1-0 in the Canadians’ favour heading into the top of the seventh. The Canadian defence was solid for the last half-inning of the game, finishing off the Puerto Rican offence with a foul ball to left field caught by Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON), an out at first by Rafter on a dropped third strike, and a groundout by third baseman Megan Timpf (Mississauga, ON) to end the game.
 
Box Score: Canada 1 vs. Puerto Rico 0
 
Groenewegen was great in the pitcher’s circle once again, picking up her third win and second complete game of the tournament. She allowed three hits, no runs, and struck out eight batters. Offensively, Yee contributed two hits, Lye had a run-scoring double, and a double by Franklin rounded out Canada’s four hits on the night. The Canadian squad also drew four walks at the plate. 
 
Earlier in the day, the United States shut out the Dominican Republic 11-0 in four innings, while Brazil beat Cuba 5-3 with five runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn the final playoff spot.
 
Team Canada (4-1) will face the United States (5-0) in the 1st vs. 2nd semifinal game at 7:00pm EDT on Friday, July 25th. The winner of that game will advance directly to the Gold medal game on Sunday, July 26th at 11:00am EDT. The other semi-final will see Puerto Rico (3-2) take on Brazil (2-3) at 4:30pm EDT on Friday, with the winner of that game moving on to face the losing team of the other semi-final in Saturday’s Bronze medal game (5:00pm EDT).

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For more information, please contact:

Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.ca
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