Canada settles for silver
October 9, 2006
HERMOSILLO, MEXICO
BY PAT HEALEY
HERMOSILLO, MEXICO – The Canadian softball team is bringing back one extra piece of luggage – a silver medal – following a 3-2, heartbreaking extra inning loss to Venezuela here Sunday night in the final of the Pan American softball championship.
The Canucks led 2-0 until Venezuela tied it up in bottom of the seventh a two run home runand won in the eighth.
Derek Mayson of North Vancouver had a huge home run for the Canadian side.
Frank Cox of Owen Sound, Ont. suffered the loss.
In the semi final, the Canadians beat Argentina 5-1, led by strong pitching from Nick Underhill of Campbell River, B.C. going six with Cox relieving in the seventh.
Canada led from start to finish in the game.
Jeff Ellsworth of Alberton went 1-for-1 with a run scored in the win over Argentina.
Ellsworth was one of three Canadian hitters to crack the top 15 in the final round robin tournament hitting leaders, released by the organizers Saturday night. He finished 14thin round robin tournament hitting, having 23 plate appearances, hitting 7-21 with four runs scored, a home run, five RBI, a walk and two strikeouts for a ..333 batting average. A hit he was given earlier in the tournament was changed to a fielder’s choice, thus taking his total down to seven.
The others were Pat MacKintosh of Saskatoon, SK., was seventh going 8-21, one RBI, three runs scored fanned three times and a .381 batting average and Ian Fehrman of Townsend, Ont. Finished eighth hitting 7-20 with one home run, three RBI, six runs scored and a .350 batting average.
Rick Smith, Rob O’Brien finished one-two in pitching with Nick Underhill in at eighth place and Frank Cox placing 12th in the pitching statistics.
Pat Healey
pathealey@eastlink.ca
