Lima, Peru – The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team took its first loss of the 2019 Pan American Games, falling 6-1 to the United States on Tuesday. Team Canada’s record dropped to 2-1 after three games of preliminary round play.
 
Team Canada got off to a good start, opening the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, Jennifer Gilbert (Saskatoon, Sask.) launched a solo home run over the left field fence to give Canada a 1-0 lead.
 
Danielle Lawrie (Langley, B.C.) got the start for Canada and held the United States off the scoresheet over the first two innings, but the Americans responded with three runs in the third. They loaded the bases on an infield single to second, a two-strike bunt single and a slap single to a vacated shortstop before Ali Aguilar hit a single off first base to score two runs. The third run of the inning came on a sacrifice fly to center as Team USA took a 3-1 lead.
 
A solo home run by Haylie McCleney added a run to the American lead in the fifth, and a two-run shot by Delaney Spaulding in the seventh made it 6-1 in favour of Team USA.
 
Canada had a few chances to score, getting two runners on in the fourth when Emma Entzminger (Victoria, B.C.) led off the inning with a hit by pitch and stole second, with Jennifer Salling (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) later drawing a walk but American pitcher Monica Abbott was able to strike out three batters to get out of the inning.
 
The fifth started with another leadoff baserunner for Canada, this time thanks to a single to Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, B.C.), but she was called out for leading off and two strikeouts by Abbott ended the inning. Abbott retired Canada in order in each of the last two innings to seal the complete game win.
 
Box Score: United States 6 vs. Canada 1
 
Lawrie started for Canada in the pitcher’s circle and allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts over three innings. Jenna Caira (Toronto, Ont.) pitched two innings of relief, allowing a solo homerun and striking out two, while Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, B.C.) gave up two runs on three hits and one strikeout over the last two innings.
 
Canada (2-1) will be looking to bounce back when they take on the host nation from Peru (0-2) at 4:00pm local time (5:00pm EDT) on Wednesday.