Canada Wins Bronze at U17 Women’s Pan American Softball Championship

Barranquilla, Colombia – The Canadian U17 Junior Women’s National Team will be coming home with the bronze medal after defeating Puerto Rico 2-1 on Saturday. Team Canada took advantage of a costly two-run error and escaped a potentially big inning in the sixth to earn the win.

Puerto Rico led off the game with a single but Canadian pitcher Samantha Ryan (Monroe, N.Y.) got a strikeout and a pair of ground outs to leave the runner stranded on second. In the bottom of the inning, Abbey Tolmie (Clarkston, Mich.) hit a two-out single followed by a walk by Shelby Miller (Georgetown, Ont.), but the next batter flew out to end the inning. Emma Dorval (Surrey, B.C.) led off the bottom of the third with a double but she was thrown out at home after a single by Tolmie and the game remained scoreless.

Canada was able to get on the board in the fourth. Ella Herrewig (Surrey, B.C.) laced a two-out double to right field followed by a pair of walks to load the bases. Dorval then hit a ground ball to the left side of the shortstop that was misplayed to allow two runs to score, giving Canada a 2-0 lead. In the top of the sixth, Puerto Rico loaded the bases with no outs after a pair of singles and a walk. A ground out pushed one run in to score, but Canada escaped the inning when the next batter grounded out to the shortstop and the runner on third was thrown out at home by first baseman Lauren Benson (Surrey, B.C.) to keep the score 2-1.

Canada looked to add to its lead in the bottom of the sixth when Benson singled and Herrewig doubled to start the inning, but she was retired going back to second after the next batter reached on an error by the third baseman. The following batter popped up on a safety squeeze attempt, with the third baseman throwing the ball to first for an inning-ending double play. Katie Korstrom (Abbotsford, B.C.) registered the save by sitting Puerto Rico down in order in the top of the seventh to seal the win.

Box Score: Canada 2 vs. Puerto Rico 1

Ryan was solid in the pitcher’s circle for Canada, allowing only one run on five hits and striking out three batters in six innings of work to earn the win. Korstrom struck out one and picked up the save. Herrewig led Canada at the plate with two doubles, while Tolmie singled twice, Dorval contributed a double and Benson hit a single.

Later in the day, the United States defeated Mexico 2-0 to win the gold medal at the event.