Canada’s softball workforce fell 1-0 to the top-ranked U.S. of their second recreation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Video games on Wednesday in a good contest at Fukushima Stadium.
Canada, ranked No. 3 on this planet, was coming off a 4-0 win over Mexico within the opening recreation, whereas the U.S. defeated Italy 2-0 in its opener.
Beginning pitcher Monica Abbott led the People with 9 strikeouts whereas giving up only one hit.
Canada got here near tying the rating within the sixth inning when Abbott walked Jen Gilbert to open the inning, however pinch-runner Joey Lye was thrown out on the plate after Sara Groenewegen doubled. Groenewegen wound up on third, however Abbott ultimately ended the menace with a strikeout of Kelsey Harshman.
Regardless of the loss, Groenewegen’s inspirational story continued with one other chapter. The beginning pitcher took command early on, placing out 4 batters whereas surrendering solely three hits as the sport remained scoreless by the primary two innings.
Canada caught with the number-one ranked workforce on this planet.<br><br>They simply should handle enterprise in opposition to the 4 different groups they usually’ll get an opportunity on the USA within the gold medal recreation. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>#Tokyo2020</a>
—@Devin_Heroux
Groenewegen battled her means again to the game after spending 10 days in a medically induced coma and practically dying from legionnaires’ illness in 2018.
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Jenna Caira changed Groenewegan to begin the third and put collectively consecutive clear innings, however the People received on the board within the fifth when Amanda Chidester lined a single to proper discipline that allowed Valerie Arioto to attain.
Lauren Bay-Regula got here in to pitch for Canada on the high of fifth and helped her workforce escape the inning with the bases loaded.
WATCH | Canada blanks Mexico in Tokyo Olympics opener:
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Canada blanks Mexico 4-0 of their opening recreation at Olympic Video games Tokyo 2020. 1:37
Groenewegen got here again in as a pinch hitter within the sixth inning and located a solution to clear up Abbott. Groenewegen hit the ball to the again wall and made her solution to third base, however Abbott then got here by along with her seventh strikeout to maintain her workforce unscathed.
All six groups within the match will play one another as soon as within the round-robin stage earlier than the 2 high groups sq. off for the gold medal on July 27 at 7 a.m. ET.
Canada subsequent faces Australia on Friday at 9 p.m. ET, whereas the U.S. will go up in opposition to Mexico on Saturday at 1:30 a.m. ET. Each video games shall be broadcast dwell on the CBC TV community and streamed dwell on CBC Gem, the CBC Olympics app and CBC Sports activities’ Tokyo 2020 web site.
WATCH | Groenewegen’s unbelievable journey to Tokyo:
![](https://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/110/410/Groenewegen.jpg?crop=1.777xh:h;*,*&downsize=510px:* 510w")
Watch CBC Sports activities’ The Olympians characteristic, on Sara Groenewegen. 2:11
