This Month's News
July2015

USA secures spot in Gold Medal Game in 5-2 win over Canada; Program seeks it's ninth Pan American Games Gold

July 25, 2015

Toronto, ON

 

USA secures spot in Gold Medal Game in 5-2 win over Canada; Program seeks it's ninth Pan American Games Gold

TORONTO, Ontario, Canada  — The USA Softball Women’s National team punched its ticket to the Pan American Games Gold Medal Game on Friday evening after a closely fought 5-2 win over No. 2 seed Canada.  With the win, the U.S. advances to the Gold Medal Game on Sunday (July 26) at 11 a.m. EDT against the winner of Puerto Rico vs. Canada game scheduled for 5 p.m. on July 25.

 

Click here for live stats, box scores and more from the Pan American Games

 

"I think we made this game tougher on ourselves, but at the same time we hit the ball right at people with runners in scoring position," said Head Coach Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla.).  "We had runners on base throughout the game and we were really close to pushing across six or seven runs early in the game, we just hit it right at them.  Our defense did a phenomenal job of getting out of some tight situations and made some heads up plays.  Now we just need to get those runs in off the bases."

 

Team USA's starter Sara Nevins (Pinellas Park, Fla.) came out hot in the top of the first inning, retiring Canada in order with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to Kellie Fox (San Diego, Calif.) at shortstop.  Team USA would take the lead early in the bottom of the first as Kelsey Stewart (Wichita, Kan.) hit a hard ground ball to centerfield for a single.  A walk to Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) put two runners on base for Sierra Romero (Murrieta, Calif.) who connected for a Rom-Bomb and sent the ball over the centerfield fence for a three-run home run. 

 

Canada would shorten the U.S. lead in the top of the second inning as the leadoff runner reached on a single and came around to score on a double by Polidori.  A heads up play by the U.S. defense recorded the first out of the inning as Polidori was thrown out on an attempt to leg out a triple and Nevins came back firing with two strikeouts to end the top half of the inning. 

 

The 3-1 lead would hold until the top of the fifth inning when Canada plated another run to bring the game within one run.  As Jaclyn Traina (Naples, Fla.) entered in relief for Nevins, a single put the lead runner on base.  A sac-bunt and a fly out to left field would get the runner to second base before an intentional walk and an infield single loaded the bases.  With two outs, a single plated a run for Canada before Yee was picked off trying to come around to score as Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md.) fired the ball to Janelle Lindvall (Stevenson Ranch, Calif.) for the out.

 

Another two runs were added in the bottom of the sixth inning as Fox led off with her third home run of the Pan American Games.  With no outs, Haylie McCleney (Morris, Ala.) reached on a dropped fly ball in left field and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Janie Takeda (Placentia, Calif.).  With McCleney in scoring position, Stewart ripped the ball down the right field line for a triple to give Team USA the 5-2 lead.

 

Team USA secured the win in the top of the seventh as Traina issued two strikeouts and a fly out to Stewart in right field.  With a record of 6-0 and two shutout victories, the U.S improves its overall Pan American Games record to 92-3 since it debuted in 1979.  The U.S has won the last seven consecutive gold medals (1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011) and will be seeking its ninth overall on Sunday.

 

"Canada is always a tough game," said Arioto.  "They're a very tough team, so for us to get the momentum back on our side in the sixth inning was big.  We're really doing the little things right on defense and at the plate.  We're advancing runners and keeping our head in the game and making some plays on defense."

 

Nevins earned the win for the U.S., pitching the first four innings of the game with four strikeouts and one run allowed.  Traina finished the remaining three innings of work with three strikeouts and one run.  For the offense, Romero led the team with three RBI while Fox finished with a 2-for-3 outing. 

 

Team USA will enjoy a day off as they await the winner of the Bronze Medal Game between Puerto Rico and Canada tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. EDT.  The winner of that game will face Team USA in the Gold Medal Game at 11 a.m. EDT on July 26.  Live stats will be available throughout the Pan American Games and fans at home can follow along with recaps and more at ASAUSASoftball.com.

 

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 visit http://www.asausasoftball.com/.

 

 

Codi Warren

ASA_USASplit logo_small

Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

Amateur Softball Association of America/USA Softball

Office 405.425.3431 | Cell 405. 420. 2817

 

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