Pan American
Championship -
Playoff #4
Sunday, August
15, 2010
(Bogota,
Colombia)
The Canadian
Junior
Women`s
National
Team had a
long day as
they played
three games
and spent 16
hours at the
stadium due
to rain
delays and
will come
home with a
Silver medal
at the Pan
American
Championship
in Bogota.
The Gold
medal game
was
completed at
3:00am
(local
time).
Canada
opened the
day with a
5-3 win over
Brazil and
defeated
Puerto Rico
2-1 with
some seventh
inning
heroics to
gain at
least a
Silver
medal.
Canada
advanced to
the Gold
medal game
against the
undefeated
United
States and
came up on
the short
end of a
hard fought
3-1 game.
Canada also
found
themselves
without the
services of
one of their
left hand
pitchers
Jocelyn
Cater
(Delta, BC)
as she came
down with
flu-like
symptoms.
Canada
advanced to
the Gold
game with an
exciting 2-1
come-from-behind
extra inning
win over
Puerto Rico
who had lost
to the
United
States in
the winners’
game.
Karissa
Hovinga
(La Vista,
Nebraska)
threw a gem
of a game as
she allowed
only three
hits and
struck out
six. Hovinga
had a
no-hitter
going for
four innings
but in the
top of the
fifth she
found her
team down
1-0 as
Puerto Rico
used their
first two
hits to cash
in their
only run of
the night.
Canada was
down 1-0
going into
the bottom
of the
seventh.
Erika
Polidori
(Brantford,
ON) led the
inning off
with a drag
bunt and was
called out
at first on
a close
play.
Jennifer
Gilbert
(Mckinney,
Texas) was
safe on an
infield
slap,
Victoria
Hayward
(Mountain
View,
California)
was also
safe on a
slap but the
ball was
thrown past
the first
baseman up
the line and
this allowed
Gilbert to
score all
the way from
first to tie
the game,
and Hayward
ended up on
third base.
Puerto Rico
intentionally
walked
Natalie
Wideman
(Mississauga,
ON) and
Natasha
Szlapetis
(Brampton,
ON) to load
the bases
and setup
the double
play. Pinch
hitter
Jacqueline
Omichinski
(Abbotsford,
BC) popped
out to the
catcher and
Shannon
Davidson
(Whitby, ON)
hit a line
shot down
the first
base line
that was
caught by
the Puerto
Rican first
baseman to
end the
inning.
Puerto Rico
started with
a runner on
second in
the eighth
due to the
international
tie-breaker
and after a
sacrifice
bunt, moved
the runner
to third.
The next
batter hit a
chopper that
Canada’s
short stop
Natalie
Wideman had
to move to
her left,
field the
ball and she
turned to
throw the
Puerto Rican
runner out
at the plate
as Polidori
made a nice
tag to get
the out.
Hovinga then
got a ground
ball to
third to end
the inning.
Pinch runner
Logan White
(Brantford,
ON) started
on second
for Canada’s
half of the
inning and
she moved to
third on a
passed ball.
Puerto Rico
intentionally
walked
Kristy Noble
(Uxbridge,
ON) and
Corinne
Brookhuis
(East York,
ON) to set
up the force
play but
Erika
Polidori
ended the
game with a
fly ball to
left field
that allowed
Logan White
to score
with the
winning run.
Canada had
many chances
to take a
lead as they
left 13
runners on
bases.
Natalie
Wideman led
the way with
three hits
while
Shannon
Davidson had
two hits
with singles
going to
Gilbert and
Noble.
In the Gold
medal game,
Canada was
defeated by
a strong
American
team who
were
undefeated
by a 3-1
score as the
United
States
outhit
Canada 8-7.
Canada gave
up their
first run to
the USA in
the top of
the first as
their
starter
Natalie
Becker
(Waterloo,
ON) walked
the leadoff
batter and
she later
scored on a
single with
one out. The
United
States added
one more in
the third on
a
back-to-back
triple and
double to
put the USA
up 2-0. In
the bottom
half of the
third,
Canada
loaded the
bases as
Noble
walked,
Corrine
Brookhuis
singled to
right and
after two
strikeouts,
Hayward beat
out an
infield slap
to load the
bases.
Wideman then
popped to
short to end
the inning.
In the
fourth,
Canada put
two runners
on with one
out as
Szlapetis
drew a walk
and
Brigitte
Aizprua
(Terrebonne,
QC) singled
off the
pitcher’s
glove. The
USA then got
the next two
outs.
The USA
extended its
lead to
three as
they added
an insurance
run after
Becker
walked the
leadoff
batter and
gave up a
single. She
was then
replaced by
Shanna
Wilson
(Peterborough,
ON) who gave
up an
infield hit
to score the
run.
Canada, who
stranded
eight
runners
during the
game, got on
the board to
make the
game 3-1 as
with one
out, Gilbert
singled and
moved to
second on a
Hayward slap
back to the
pitcher.
Gilbert
scored on a
line drive
single to
right field
by Natalie
Wideman.
Natasha
Szlapetis
came up
represented
the tying
run and hit
a ground
ball up the
middle that
the USA
second
baseman made
a nice play
on to end
the game.
Becker took
the loss as
she gave up
three runs
on seven
hits and
struck out
five. Wilson
relieved her
in the last
inning
giving up
one hit and
striking out
one.
Hayward and
Aizprua both
had two hits
for Canada
with singles
going to
Gilbert,
Wideman,
Brookhuis.
-SC-
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