Softball Canada - Canada Edges Cuba in Pan Am Championship Opener

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 10/1/06 4:20:48 PM 
From:  "Rick Picard" <rpicard(at)softball.ca> 


Subject:  Softball Canada - Canada Edges Cuba in Pan Am Championship
Opener  
  

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 1, 2006

 

Canada Edges Cuba in Pan Am Championship Opener

 

(Hermosillo, Mexico) - The Senior Men's National Team defeated
Cuba 3-2 in their opening game at the Pan American Championships
in Hermosillo, Mexico.

 

Trailing 2-1 in the top of the seventh, team captain Ryan Wolfe
(London, ON) took a two out 0-2 pitch over the left field fence
off Cuban pitcher Alain Roman to give Canada the 3-2 victory.
"It was an inside drop ball, the third drop ball in a row that
he threw to me" said Wolfe.  "Down 0-2 in the count, I just wanted
to put the ball in play and fortunately it went out of the park”.


 

The 7th inning rally began when pinch hitter Derek Mayson (North
Vancouver, BC) lined a single into right field to lead off the
inning. Rob Giesbrecht (Landmark, MB) followed and reached safely
on a fielder’s choice when the throw to 2nd base sailed high
failing to get lead runner Mayson.  Ian Fehrman (Townsend, ON)
also reached on a fielder’s choice, this time the Cubans were
successful in erasing Giesbrecht at 2nd.  Kevin Schellenberg
(Squamish, BC) drove home Mayson with a shot to left center but
was gunned down at 2nd on a nice relay by the Cubans, leaving
Fehrman at 3rd and setting the stage for Wolfe’s blast.

 

Canada had fallen behind in the bottom of the first inning when
Cuban first baseman Alejandro Leal singled home Alexis Navarro.
They increased the lead to 2-0 in the 2nd inning when right fielder
Roberto Echarte lead off with a home run over the center field
fence off Canadian starter Nick Underhill (Campbell River, BC).
Underhill settled in to blank the Cubans the rest of the way
until replaced by Rick Smith (Duncan, BC) to start the 6th. Smith
finished the game to earn the win.

 

Team Canada did not record a hit until the 4th inning when Jeff
Ellsworth (Alberton, PE) lined a single to right field.

 

The Canadians had a chance for a big inning in the 5th when Giesbrecht
lead off with an infield single followed by a double off the
top of the fence in right center by Fehrman chasing Cuban starter
Gusbel Plutin. Romain was able to induce three ground balls,
including one that saw Giesbrecht cut down at home plate, to
escape the inning without any damage being done.

 

The Canadians will now face USA on October 1st at 8:00pm in their
second game of a 10 team round robin at the Pan Am Championships
in Hermosillo, Mexico.  The top 5 teams, including Canada, will
earn a berth for the 2009 ISF World Championships to be held
in Saskatoon, SK.

 

-SC-

 

For more information, please contact:

 

Rick Picard
Director, Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
rpicard at softball.ca
(613) 523-3386 ext 3105
 

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