Canada and Mexico qualify to WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship, Pan Am Games

Post date: Aug 18, 2017 9:1:58 PM

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Mexico and Canada are the first teams qualified for the 2018 WBSC Women’s World Championship and Lima 2019 Pan American Games. Today, both teams defeated USA and Venezuela respectively and clinched a spot in the podium of this event.

In the first game of the day, Mexico upset USA by 7-2 in eight innings. Pitcher Dallas Escobedo led her team from the circle, while Victoria Vidales had 4 RBIs in the Mexican offense.

The first hit for USA came in the bottom of the fifth innings, with two outs. Delaney Spaulding hit to right field and the ball landed a few inches inside the foul line for a triple. After that Jazmyn Jackson came from the bench as a pinch hitter, and delivered a two-run homer to right field to make it 2-0.

However, in the top of the seventh Mexico tied the game. Brigette Delponte hit a line drive to center field, and Vidales hit a bomb to center field to make it 2-2.

In the eighth inning, starting with a runner on second, Mexico exploded offensively to score five runs. With the bases loaded and one out, Delponte hit a single to right field to produce the go ahead run, and Vidales plated two more with a single to center field; while Anissa Urtez and Koral Costa contributed with an RBI single each.

With the obligation of score five runs to tie the game USA was aggressive with the bat, but they only could hit three popups to the infield against Escobedo, to end the game.

This way, Mexico was the first qualified for the 2018 WBSC Women’s World Championship and Lima 2019 Pan American Games.

The second qualified for both events is Canada, after they defeated Venezuela today by 2-1.

Canada opened the score in the third inning as Careigh-Lee Thomas singled, and with two outs the top of the order managed to hit three consecutive hits, including RBI singles by Sarah Chow and Jenn Salling for the 2-0.

Milagros Lozada scored in the fourth for Venezuela. The catcher singled, and advanced to third with two pass balls. With two outs, an error by Salling to first allowed Lozada to score and bring the game to 2-1.

The game winner was Jenna Caira, allowing only 1 hit in seven innings pitched.

Tomorrow Canada will face Mexico for a place in the final of this tournament. The game will be at 16:00.

In the lower part of the chart, Puerto Rico defeated Brazil by 2-0 an a single elimination game. Meghan King pitched a four-hit shutout, with 3 strikeouts.

Brazil had the chance to open the score in the second inning. With runner on second and two outs, Samira Tanaka singled to right field and Vivian Morimoto tried to score, but Carsyn Gordon made a great throw to home plate to retire the last out of the inning in home.

Puerto Rico scored first in the bottom of the third inning. Gordon led off the inning with a double to right field, advanced to third with a sacrifice bunt and finally scored with a rolling by Dayanira Diaz.

In the fourth inning Morganne Flores produced the second and last run of the game, with an RBI single to left to plate Elicia D’Orazio from second base.

With this victory, Puerto Rico is still alive in the tournament and tomorrow will face USA, at 11:00, trying to clinch a spot to the World Championship and Lima 2019.

Finally, in the last game of the day, in front of a huge crowd, Cuba defeated Dominican Republic by 2-0, and tomorrow will play against Venezuela. Anisley Lopez threw a four hit shutout to claim the victory.

Cuba had a great chance in the bottom of the first. Consecutive hits by Yuselis Acosta and Yilian Rondon, and a hit by pitch to Yanitza Aviles, loaded the bases with only one out. However, Rosaury Perez struck out Leanneyi Gomez and Yariana Lopez to escape the jam.

In the third, Cuba loaded the bases again, with two singles and an intentional base on balls. But this time Perez couldn’t allow the damage, since Gomez hit an RBI single and Yariana Lopez walked, to put the score 2-0 for Cuba.

The only chance to score for the host team was in the fifth inning. Anabel Ulloa was hit by pitch and Josefina Mercedes singled to put runners on the corners with two outs. However, Anisley Lopez forced Jessica Rivera to hit a fly to right field to end the inning.

This way, the Dominican Republic is eliminated from the tournament, taking one of the five available spots for the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games.

These are the games for tomorrow:

11:00 – USA vs Puerto Rico

13:30 – Venezuela vs Cuba

16:00 – Canada vs Mexico

18:30 – Winner of the 11 game vs Winner of the 13:30 game