2019 Pan American Games – Day 1

Softball Canada – Lima, Peru – The Canadian Women’s National Softball Team got off to a good start with a 3-1 win over Puerto Rico to open preliminary round action at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.
 
Puerto Rico got on the board first, scoring a run in the top of the first inning on a leadoff home run by Quianna Diaz-Patterson. Canada didn’t wait long to respond, putting up two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. Victoria Hayward (Toronto, Ont.) got the inning started with a walk, and Emma Entzminger (Victoria, B.C.) followed that up with two-run homerun for the 2-1 lead.
 
Team Canada extended its lead in the third, adding a run in the frame. Another walk started the inning, this time by Entzminger. Jennifer Gilbert (Saskatoon, Sask.) followed with a single that moved Entzminger to third and Holly Speers (Surrey, B.C.) delivered a run-scoring single to put Canada up 3-1.
 
Danielle Lawrie (Langley, B.C.) got the start in the pitcher’s circle for Canada, earning her first win of the tournament. She allowed a homerun to the first batter she faced and followed that by issuing a walk, but from that point forward she was locked in and completely shut down the Puerto Rican offence, retiring 20 of the final 24 batters she faced. Lawrie went the full seven innings in the contest, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and striking out 12 batters.
 
Box Score: Canada 3 vs. Puerto Rico 1
 
Offensively, Entzminger’s two-run home run was the key hit for Canada with Speers adding a double, a single and an RBI. Hayward, Gilbert and Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, B.C.) each contributed singles.
 
Team Canada (1-0) will be back in action on Monday afternoon when they will take on Venezuela at 1:00pm local time (2:00pm EDT).