USA vs. Canada Recap: Canadian Women’s Team Still in the Hunt

August 7, 2019

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USA vs. Canada Recap: Canadian Women’s Team Still in the Hunt

The Canadian Women’s Softball Team is in the hunt for the championship at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru.

 

On Sunday, the ladies beat a tough Puerto Rican team on Sunday and then put together a shutout in Monday over Venezuela with perfect pitching on the part of Sara Groenewegen. 

 

Despite Tuesday’s loss to US Women’s National Team the CWNT is still trying to defend their Gold. And although we haven’t seen any online betting odds posted for the rest of the tournament, we know it will be highly competitive, as the teams try to prepare for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

USA 6, Canada 1

Things started off strong for our ladies. It looked like they were in route to another dominant victory when Jennifer Gilbert opened up with a solo slammer over left field. But that was pretty much all of the offensive production that we would see against the USA’s Monica Abbott. The only other hit came from Larissa Franklin in the bottom of the 5th. She smacked a solid grounder to McCleney at Centerfield for a single. Unfortunately, Abbott’s pitching burned through the lineup once again, and the team couldn’t capitalize on a runner on-base. 

 

The second inning was uneventful for both sides. It was the top of the 3rd where things took a turn for the worse. The USA team put together a string of singles that ended up scoring three runs in the third. It started with Stewart’s single shot to second base with one out on the board. Then the USA’s Centerfielder, McCleney smacked a single over to third base and advanced Stewart into scoring position on Second. 

 

With pressure mounting for Danielle Lawrie on the mound, Outfielder, Janie Reed singled to shortstop, loading the bases. Ali Aguilar put another single in play, batting-in both Kelsey Stewart and Haylie McCleney home for the first runs of the inning. The next at bat, 1st basewoman, Valerie Arioto smashed a sacrifice fly out to Larissa Franklin in Center, driving Reed home for a run, but Larissa’s arm was able to hold Alguilar at 1st.

 

The game held at 3-1 through the 4th inning but moved to 4-1 in the bottom of the 5th with a longer homer over Center by Haylie McCleney. The 6th inning went scoreless, but the final dagger came at the top of the 7th with back to back solid, well-placed shots to the outfield on the part of the US Women’s National Team. Michelle Moultrie tripled right before the USA’s Shortstop, Delaney Spaulding smashed a two-run dinger over the centerfield wall. 

Shutout pitching through the bottom of the 7th held our team at bay. 

 

On Wednesday we take on Peru and Thursday Mexico and should enter the playoffs on Friday.