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October2014

Canada Blanks Venezuela at IX Men’s Pan American Softball Championship

October 27, 2014

Parana, ARG

Canada Blanks Venezuela at IX Men’s Pan American Softball Championship

The following is a media release issued by Softball Canada.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26th, 2014
 

Canada Blanks Venezuela at IX Men’s
Pan American Softball Championship


(Parana, Argentina) The Canadian Senior Men’s National Team blanked Venezuela 2-0 to improve its record to 3-0 at the IX Men’s Pan American Softball Championship. Three Canadian pitchers combined for the shutout win and limited Venezuela to three hits, with the red and white producing one run in each of the second and third innings and was able to hold on for the win.
 
After Canada went down in order on three ground outs in the top of the first inning, Venezuela was able to draw a one-out walk and the runner advanced to third on a pair of passed balls but Canadian starting pitcher Andy Skelton (Scarborough, ON) was able to get a ground out to second to leave the runner stranded. In the second, Gregg Garrity (Courtice, ON) led off with a walk followed by a single by Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, BC) and Mark Johnson (Glencoe, ON) reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases with no outs. Jason Sanford (Durham, NS) hit a ground ball up the middle that was caught by the diving shortstop who flipped the ball to second to start a nice double play, but Garrity scored on the play. In the bottom of the frame, Venezuela got its leadoff batter on base on an error but Skelton sat down the next three batters.
 
Team Canada was able to add its lead with a run in the top of the third. Brandon Horn (Waterloo, ON) hit a one-out single and was sacrificed over to second on a bunt by Mathieu Roy (St. Gervais, QC) and later scored on a single to left field by Garrity to increase Canada’s lead to 2-0. Sanford got a one-out single in the fourth but was left on base after a pair of groundouts, and Venezuela was able to put two men on base with two outs on a single and a walk, but Skelton induced a ground out to shortstop to get out of the inning.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Venezuela got a two-out double by Iran Paez as Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, NL) came in to relieve Skelton, and the runner moved up to third on a passed ball before the next batter flew out to left field as Venezuela left another runner on base in scoring position. The following inning, Venezuela got two runners on base on a pair of walks but Cleary got two big strikeouts to end the threat. Cleary allowed a leadoff single to start the seventh before Paul Koert (Brooklin, ON) came in to pitch. Koert induced a ground ball to first for the first out, struck out the next batter and after a walk put the tying run on base, the next batter hit a deep fly ball that was caught in centerfield to end the game.  
 
Box Score: Canada 2 vs. Venezuela 0
 
Skelton picked up the win in the pitcher’s circle, allowing two hits and two walks with two strikeouts in four innings and two thirds of work. Cleary gave up a hit and two walks with two strikeouts in an inning and a third, while Koert earned the save by allowing one walk and notching one strikeout in one inning. Garrity reached base in each of his at-bats as he had a single, a walk, a hit by pitch, a run batted in and a run scored for Canada, while Horn, Mayson and Sanford each added a single off Venezuelan pitcher John Garcia.
 
In other scores on the third day of competition at the IX Men’s Pan American Championship, the Dominican Republic (1-2) edged Guatemala (0-3) by a score of 3-2 and the United States (2-1) doubled Cuba (1-2) by a 4-2 scored. Argentina (2-0) and Mexico (1-1) are squaring off in the late game.
 
Canada (3-0) will take on Cuba (1-2) at 3:00pm EDT on Monday.
 
The event website can be found at http://9panamericanosoftbol2014.com/eng/, with webstreaming available at http://9panamericanosoftbol2014.com/eng/index.php/on-line. The event can also be followed on Facebook (IX Panamericano de Softbol Masculino Conpasa Parana Argentina 2014) and Softball Argentina’s Twitter account (@SoftbolARG).

How to Follow Team Canada
Softball Canada Website: http://www.softball.ca
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SoftballCanada
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SoftballCanadaNSO

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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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