USA Tops Canada in 2019 Men’s and Women’s Slo-Pitch Border Battle

Softball Canada – Midland, Mich. – The Canadian Men’s and Women’s Slo-Pitch teams both dropped their respective Border Battle games against the United States, as the women lost 15-5 and the men were toppled 30-14. The men’s team went into the Border Battle on a high note with a pair of exhibition wins, while the women’s team went 1-1 before taking on Team USA.
 
The Women’s Border Battle game saw Team Canada open the scoring in the top of the first inning, as Patricia Simon (Big Horn, Alta.) led off by reaching on an error, advanced to second on a walk and to third by tagging up on fly ball to center before scoring on a sacrifice fly to Jackie Bates (Langley, B.C.). Canada kept the Americans from scoring in the bottom of the inning thanks to an inning-ending double play but gave up four runs in the second. A leadoff homerun tied the game, later followed by an RBI triple, a run-scoring error and an RBI single to give USA a 4-1 lead. In the top of the third, Michelle Lorenz (Toronto, Ont.) led off with a single and was replaced by a pinch runner who scored on an error after a single by Simon, who crossed the plate on a double to right by Tina Gulbrandsen (Langley, B.C.) to cut the lead to 4-3.
 
The United States added three runs in the bottom of the third with a two-run homerun and an RBI single, with Canada getting one run back on a run-scoring single by Paige Smith (Gretna, Man.) to make the score 7-4. The United States added a run in the bottom of the fourth, and then tacked on six runs in the fifth to build a commanding 13-4 lead. Sarah Berry (Courtice, Ont.) gave Canada some hope by tripling on a line drive to right and later scoring on a single by Jesse Goddard (Langley, B.C.), but the United States hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the inning to end the game on the run rule.
 
Box Score: United States 15 vs. Canada 5
 
Lenny Stoddart (Bolton, Ont.) went 3-for-3 at the plate for Canada, while Erika Burns (West Lorne, Ont.) had a triple and a single and Amanda Howard (Strathmore, Alta.) had a pair of singles. Gulbrandsen contributed an RBI double with Goddard, Smith and Bates each driving in a run. Lorenz took the loss in the pitcher’s circle, yielding 14 runs (12 earned) on 17 hits.
 
In the Men’s Border Battle, Canada was kept off the scoreboard in the top of the first and the United States opened the scoring with three runs on a two-run shot and an RBI single. Team Canada responded with six runs in the top of the second, highlighted by a pair of two-run blasts by Pat Severin (Kingston, Ont.) and Jeff Andrews (St. Albert, Alta.) with Dustin McLoughlin (Maple Ridge, B.C.) adding a run-scoring triple and Kyle Reinders (Cambridge, Ont.) bringing a run in with a sacrifice fly. The United States scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-6 lead.
 
A double play broke the momentum for Canada in the top half of the third, and the Americans exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the inning to take a big 17-6 lead. A two-run triple by Chadwin Stang (Surrey, B.C.) brought Canada a bit closer, but Team USA added three runs in the bottom of the fourth to increase their lead to 20-8 after four complete innings. The red and white then cut into the lead with a six-run inning, as Steele Lewis (Windsor, Ont.) led off with a homerun to left, Ryan Gates (London, Ont.) hit a two-run single and  David Goulet (Sherbrooke, Que.), Bryon Bell (Kitchener, Ont.) and Wayne Parent (Belle River, Ont.) each connected with RBI singles to make the score 20-14. The United States scored four runs in the fifth and six more in the bottom of the sixth to end the game on the run rule.
 
Box Score: United States 30 vs. Canada 14
 
Ron Nadalin (Woodstock, Ont.) collected three hits for Canada, with Lewis hitting a homerun and adding a double. Severin and Andrews each hit homeruns, and Stang, Goulet, Gates and Justin Pennell (Toronto, Ont.) all contributed two hits. In the pitcher’s circle, Reinders and Goulet shared the load, as Reinders allowed 17 runs (14 earned) on 16 hits with Goulet surrendering 13 runs on 15 hits.
 
The Canadian Men’s team will play one game against Comatose at 9:30am EDT on Sunday morning before both Canadian teams return home.