Guatemala City, Guatemala - Team Canada was the home team for today's important matchup with Mexico at the 2022 WBSC Women’s Pan American Championship. The winner secured the qualification to next summer's World Championship qualifier. Canada took the match 1-0.
Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, B.C.) got the start for Team Canada in the circle. She worked a perfect first inning retiring the side in order on 10 total pitches.
In the top half of the inning, Alysen Febrey (Peachtree City, GA.) recorded the first hit for Canada with a 2-out double to left field, but she was stranded when Janet Leung (Mississauga, Ont.) lined out to the first baseman to end the inning.
In the bottom of the second, Groenewegen worked a clean inning once again as she retired the side in order for the second straight inning, this time on only nine pitches.
In the top of the second, Canada was able to record their second hit with two outs when Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.) tripled to right field but she was once again stranded.
In the top of the third, Team Mexico recorded their first hits of the game with two singles, but Groenewegen was once again able to stimy the rally and retire the side without giving up a run.
Canada broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning when Kelsey Harshman (Delta, B.C.) hit a solo home run over the left field fence to put the Canadians ahead 1-0.
A single for Mexico put a runner on in the top of the fourth but a huge diving play in right field by Kianna Jones (Surrey, B.C.) ended the threat and kept the home side ahead 1-0. Mexico again threatened in the top of the fifth getting two runners on with only one out but a big fly out and a strike out looking by Groenewegen once again ended the inning.
Emma Entzminger (Victoria, B.C.) tallied a single in the bottom of the fifth but Canada was once again not able to push across any insurance runs as they took a 1-0 lead into the final two innings.
In the final two innings, Groenewegen was able to finish what she started, issuing only one two-out walk in the seventh inning before getting the final out via a strikeout looking.
Sara Groenewegen pitched a complete game shutout for Canada scattering five hits and also recording five strikeouts.
Canada will play Puerto Rico Saturday, November 19 at 12:45pm CST with the winner of that contest facing either Cuba or U.S.A for a chance to go to the final. A livestream feed will be available throughout the tournament on Softball Canada’s Facebook page and the WBSC Americas YouTube page.
