LIMA 2019: Canada earns silver after loss to Puerto Rico

By Adam Morissette

Baseball Canada

LIMA, Peru - Canada dropped a 6-1 decision to Puerto Rico in the gold medal contest of the Pan Am games baseball competition and will come away from the event as silver medal winners.

The silver medal is Canada’s fourth all-time medal in Pan Am Games baseball after winning bronze in 1999 in Winnipeg and back-to-back gold medals in 2011 and 2015 at Mexico and Ajax, Ont.

“We got beat by a better team – we didn’t beat ourselves,” said manager Ernie Whitt. “I’m proud of (the team) and the way we competed to get a silver medal.”

After three scoreless innings by RHP RJ Freure (Burlington, Ont.) , Puerto Rico opened the scoring in the fourth using a pair of doubles off reliever Chris Leroux (Mississauga, Ont.) to plate one run before a single to centre gave them a 2-0 lead.

Canada got to Puerto Rico starting pitcher Giovanni Soto in the sixth on a Connor Panas (Etobicoke, Ont.) RBI single to left field but left and chased his from the game but failed to cash in any more runs in leaving the bases loaded.

Soto had held Canada’s bats in check for 5 1/3 scoreless scattering five hits with four strikeouts to earn the win.

Puerto Rico added a pair of runs in their half of the sixth including a Brahiam Maldonado solo home run to lead off the inning and scored two more, with two out, in the seventh.

Jordan Lennerton (Langley, BC) and Rene Tosoni (Coquitlam, BC) each had a pair of hits.

Innings

123 456 789 R H E

Canada 000 001 000 -- 1 7 2

Puerto Rico 000 202 20x -- 6 9 0

Batters

Puerto Rico

Name Position AB R H RBI BB SO PO A E

SOTO Giovanni P 2

ESCANIO Bryan P

NIEVES Efrain P

ROMAN Orlando P

ROSA Ramesis P

CRUZ Fernando P 1

MARTINEZ Osvaldo SS 5 2 3 3

GONZALEZ Jay CF 4 1 2 1

DOMINGUEZ Jeffrey 3B 4 1 2 1 2 3

MALDONADO Brahiam DH 3 1 1 1 1 1

LUCIANO Kevin 1B 3 2 1 2 9

RIVERA Cesar 1B

GOMEZ Edwin LF 3 1 2 3 2

RODRIGUEZ Wilfredo C 4 1 2 1 1 4 1

PADILLA Jorge RF 3 1 1 1 1

MATEO Luis 2B 4 1 1 1 2 3

Totals 33 6 9 6 2 10 27 13

Canada

Name Position AB R H RBI BB SO PO A E

FREURE Richard P

LEROUX Christopher P 1

MCAFFER William P

RUTCKYJ Evan P

MOLLEKEN Dustin P

DARVILL Wesley SS 4 1 1 1

POMPEY Tristan RF 4 1 1

PANAS Connor LF 4 1 1 1

WOOD Eric 3B 4 1 1 1 2

LENNERTON Jordan 1B 4 2 8

CROUSE Michael CF 4 1 2

PROCYSHEN Jordan C 4 1 1 10

MALO Jonathan 2B 3 1 1 3

TOSONI Rene DH 3 2

Totals 34 1 7 1 - 5 24 6 2

Pitchers

Puerto Rico

Name W/L/S IP H R ER BB SO HR WP BK/ILP AB BF NP

SOTO Giovanni W 5.1 5 1 1 4 21 74

ESCANIO Bryan 0.1 1 3

NIEVES Efrain 0.1 1 4

ROMAN Orlando 1.0 3 11

ROSA Ramesis 1.0 1 4 15

CRUZ Fernando 1.0 1 1 4 16

Totals 9.0 7 1 1 5 34 123

Canada

Name W/L/S IP H R ER BB SO HR WP BK/ILP AB BF NP

FREURE Richard 3.0 1 1 7 12 66

LEROUX Christopher L 2.1 4 4 4 1 1 12 47

MCAFFER William

RUTCKYJ Evan 1.1 2 2 2 1 6 22

MOLLEKEN Dustin 1.1 4 11

Totals 8.0 9 6 4 2 10 1 1 37 155