Pan American Games 2003
USA Softball Captures
Seventh Consecutive Pan Am Silver Medal
ASA Press Release
8/14/03
SANTO DOMINGO, D.R. --- The USA Softball Men’s National Team captured its
seventh consecutive Pan Am silver medal after falling 4-2 to Canada in the
gold medal game. The
U.S.
had its chances, but was unable to get the key hit to keep its gold medal
hopes alive.
Canada
took an early 1-0 lead after a solo home run by Rob
Giesbrecht in the bottom of the first inning.
It looked like the
tides had turned in favor of the U.S. in the top of the fourth inning
after it put together a few hits to take a 2-1 lead. With one out, Ross
Dey (Sedalia ,
Mo.) singled to right field and scored on a triple by Chad Boom (Barnesville,
Min.). A single by Mike Dryer (Blue Springs ,
Mo.
) plated Boom for the 2-1 lead.
“It’s great to see our team pull together and just make this game happen,”
Dryer said. “Although it is a disappointing lost, this was a once in a
lifetime opportunity and there was no way we were going to go home without
playing for the gold.”
Canada
stole the momentum after opening the bottom of the inning
with back-to-back singles putting both runners in scoring position with a
sacrifice bunt. Evan Potskin capitalized with an RBI single to left center
to even the game at 2-2.
U.S.
starter Michael White (Sioux City ,
Iowa) ran into trouble again in the bottom of the sixth after a lead off
double by Giesbrecht. Following a walk to
Bob Court
and a groundout to second that moved runners to second and third, Potskin
was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. White then picked
up his third strikeout of the game for the second out of the inning but
couldn’t work out of the jam. Ron White provided the game winning RBI with
a two run double down the right field line to give
Canada
its final margin of victory.
White dropped to 1-1
in Pan Am play after allowing four runs on seven hits. Dey led the
U.S.
at the plate going 3-for-3, while Dryer, Boom and Kerry Shaw (Odessa ,
Mo.) provided the other hits in the game.
"I feel like we just couldn’t hit the ball and get our guys in scoring
position,” head coach Pete Turner said. “We had a lot of strikeouts and
just couldn’t connect. Our hats go off to their pitching. We battled, but
it just wasn’t met to be. But getting the opportunity to play is all we
could ask for.”
The
U.S.
will now look towards its World Championship selection camp in September
in
Chula Vista ,
Calif.
The
U.S.
will be looking to capture its fifth ISF World Championship in February
2004 in
Christchurch ,
New Zealand
.
