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From Als Fastball:
Canada advances
HERMOSILLO, MEXICO – Team Canada is two steps from capturing Pan American gold after eliminating the defending champions, United States 4-1 here at the 2006 Pan American Softball championships Saturday night.
The Canucks can finish no worse then a bronze medal placing with the win.
Canada used a long bomb off the hot sticks of Ian Fehrman of Townsend, ONT., and Ryan Wolfe of Melbourne, ONT., as
each connected for two run blasts in the win.
Frank Cox of Ontario earned the pitching decision.
Team Canada will play the loser of the first place-second place game between Argentina and Venezuela at 4 pm Pacific Sunday for the right to play that game’s winner in the final at 7 pm.
Pat Healey
pathealey@eastlink.ca
In their final round robin game, the USA team record fell to 6-3 with an 8-4 loss against Puerto Rico at the 2006 Men’s Pan American Softball Championships.
The United States struck first putting up two runs in the bottom of the first. Frank DeGroat (Ringwood, N.J.) took the long ball for a two-run homerun, his third of the Championships, scoring Omar Morago (Tucson, Ariz.) who reached on a fielder’s choice.
It was scoreless through the second until Puerto Rico responded with a five-run third inning off three doubles. It started off with a double by Guarronex Rodriquez. Santos Santiago followed three batters later with his own double for two RBI scoring both Jose Santiago who was hit by a pitch and Rodriquez. A double by Victor Ayala, which scored two runs, wrapped up Puerto Rico’s scoring drive, giving them a 5-2 lead.
Puerto Rico struggled from the circle with Morago scoring after landing on base with a walk and then scoring when Luis Joglar (Fairview, N.J.) drew a walk. The team drew four walks during the third cutting the lead to 5-3.
With two on in the fourth, Santiago homered to give Puerto an 8-3 lead. Their lead would not be challenged until the bottom of the fifth. For the second time of the game, Joglar drew a walk for an RBI scoring Degroat who landed on base on balls. A double play by Puerto Rico closed out the inning and scoreless innings through five and six gave Puerto Rico an 8-4 win.
Michael White (Sioux City, Iowa) walked away with the loss for the United States after throwing 2 1/3 innings with one strikeout and three hits.