Verge: Team USA puts Canucks against ropes for a medal
RHP Alli Schroder (Fruitvale BC) started for Team USA. Photo: Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com.
July 30, 2024
By Melissa Verge
Canadian Baseball Network
Canada lost 13-4 to Team USA on Tuesday night in its third game of the Women’s World Cup at Thunder Bay.
A consistent, strong showing at the plate by the Americans, with runs scored every inning up until the sixth at Port Arthur Stadium was a big part of Canada’s downfall.
It was a disheartening outcome, said right-hander Alli Schroder (Fruitvale BC) in a postgame interview, who had the start for Canada.
“Super frustrating, that was our chance at the gold medal game and we kind of let it go,” Schroder said, who was the winning pitcher for Canada at the World Cup in 2018 against USA, helping Canada go home with a bronze medal.
“Walking away from the field [we] definitely have our emotions, tough loss for us all, super tough loss,” Schroder said.
The scoring started early in front of a lively crowd in Port Arthur Stadium, with American Alex Hugo crushing the first home run of the night in the bottom of the first. The two-run shot to centre field gave Team USA a 2-0 lead.
Canada answered quickly to Hugo’s homer with a run of its own in the top of the second. Zoe Hicks (Boissevain Man.) started things with a double off the left field wall. Hicks, the 2023 Most Valuable Player, has been a shining light for Canada at the tournament so far, batting .300 with six RBIs in three games.
Hicks came around to score the first run for Canada after a balk by USA pitcher Olivia Pichardo advanced her to third, and a ground out from Emily Baxter (Oakville, Ont.) brought her home.
But Team USA quickly erased the ground Canada was able to gain in the bottom half, a pattern throughout the game. Team USA loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, and Ashton Lansdell hit a fly ball to centre, making it 3-1.
In the bottom of the third with two outs, USA added to its lead again, after Canadian RF Baxter closed her glove a little too early, dropping the ball. That allowed Jillian Albayati to score. Denae Benites then belted a two-run home run, making it 6-1.
In the fourth, Andreanne Leblanc (Mont-Saint-Hilaire Que.) smashed a double off the wall for Canada but was left stranded after two strikeouts.
Team USA then loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, after two walks and a hit by a pitch. Those walks came back to haunt Canada, with a third walk sending a runner home for the US, extending their lead to 7-1.
Schroder was removed midway through the inning, replaced by Amy Johnson (Saskatoon, Sask.) who entered with the bases loaded with nobody out. A two-run single by Remi Schaber then made it 9-1 for the Team USA in the bottom of the fourth, and a fly ball added another run to their total making it 10-1.
Canada got some runs back in the fifth, scoring three, but Team USA matched that in the bottom of the fifth, making it 13-4.
Schroder, worked three-plus innings allowing 10 runs — five earned — on four hits and five walks, was the losing pitcher for Canada, while Pichardo, who permitted just one run in four innings, was the winning pitcher for the U.S.
Team USA heads into its game Wednesday with a 3-0 record. Canada will look to even its record Wednesday evening at 2-2 when the Canucks take the field against Venezuela at 7 p.m. E.T. in an elimination game.
No team in the tournament is an easy win, Schroder said, but Canada is scrappy, and they play with a lot of grit. Witness taking No. 1 Japan, winners of 30 straight international games, to extra innings earlier this week.
With a win already under its belt, Canada is looking for victory number two on Wednesday.
“Best we can do is bronze and we’re not leaving here without a medal,” Schroder said. “So, that’s what we’re looking forward to now.”
On Tuesday, Mexico beat Chinese Taipei 9-3 and Japan knocked off Venezuela 11-0. Team USA and Japan are both 3-0, while Canada, Mexico and Venezuela are all 1-2, while Chinese Taipei is winless.