Castions di Strada, Italy – In a heart-stopping eleven-inning showdown against the Netherlands, Canada clinched the bronze medal at the 2024 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup with a walk-off grand slam by Callum Pilgrim (Abbotsford, B.C.), securing an 11-7 victory.
The game was a test of resilience for Team Canada, who trailed for most of the contest. The Netherlands took an early lead in the top of the third inning, scoring five runs. The inning began with two singles and an error by Canada, placing runners on first and third. A subsequent single scored one run, and a bunt led to a close play at the plate, called safe, making it 2-0. The Netherlands then hit a three-run home run, extending their lead to 5-0.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Janet Leung (Mississauga, Ont.) led off with a walk, followed by a single to left field by CC Wong (Port Coquitlam, B.C.). Zoe Hicks (Boissevain, Man.) then drove in Leung with a single through the left side, putting Canada on the board at 5-1.
By the bottom of the sixth, Canada was still trailing by four runs. Leung ignited the offense again with a single to right center, followed by another single to left field by Wong. Grace Messmer (Surrey, B.C.) then hit a single up the middle, scoring Leung and advancing Wong to third. With two outs and Canada down by three, Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) delivered a clutch three-run home run after a twelve-pitch battle, tying the game at 5-5.
The game remained tied through the seventh inning, leading to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, the Netherlands began with a runner on second. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runner to third, followed by a sacrifice fly to left fielder Erika Polidori (Brantford, Ont.), scoring one run. A strikeout ended the half inning, putting the Netherlands ahead 6-5.
Canada responded in the bottom of the eighth with Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, B.C.) starting on second. A sacrifice bunt by Leung moved Franklin to third, and a sacrifice fly by Wong brought her home, tying the game at 6-6.
Both teams failed to score in the ninth inning, pushing the game into the tenth. The Netherlands again utilized a sacrifice bunt to move their runner to third, followed by an RBI single to shortstop, giving them a 7-6 lead. Canada ended the inning with a groundout to pitcher Morgan Rackel (Calgary, Alta.).
In the bottom of the tenth, Franklin scored again, tying the game at 7-7, thanks to a single down the left field line by Leung.
The eleventh inning saw the Netherlands' runner advance to third on a sacrifice bunt, but Canada shut them down with a groundout to Leung at shortstop and a strikeout by Rackel.
With Hicks starting on second, Wideman moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt, bringing up the top of Canada’s lineup. The Netherlands intentionally walked Kelsey Harshman (Delta, B.C.) and Polidori, loading the bases. Pilgrim stepped up and, on the first pitch, smashed a grand slam over the left field fence, sealing the victory for Team Canada and securing the bronze medal.
Sara Groenewegen (Surrey, B.C.) started in the circle for Canada, pitching 2.1 innings, striking out two, walking two, and allowing six hits. Rackel took over in the third and pitched until the middle of the eighth, when Dawn Bodrug (Georgetown, Ont.) came in for 1.2 innings, striking out two, walking none, and allowing no hits. Rackel returned in the tenth to finish the game, totaling seven innings with four strikeouts, one walk, and four hits allowed.
Box Score: Canada 11, Netherlands 7
