Day 5 – Semifinal Friday – A Bittersweet Day on the Ball Field
BY DAN BERLIN – DECEMBER 30, 2011
Both Canada 1 and Canada 2 were back on the softball diamond on Friday, having qualified as the top two seeds respectively for the tournament’s semifinals.
In the first semi, Canada 2 (aka Bender’s crew) had a tough matchup vs. USA 1, having to face their tough hurler and feared batter Jason Gluckman. The Canadians countered with Michael Bronstine as their starter, who had successfully shut down the Americans for two innings to pick up the win just one day earlier in Canada’s 5-4 walkoff victory.
Canada fell behind early and trailed 3-0 after just an inning and a half, but started a rally in the bottom of the 2nd. A controversial call at home plate, where Colin Halpern was ruled out by the home plate umpire (he was clearly safe) after attempting to score from 3rd on a passed ball, looked to potentially snuff the rally, but back-to-back clutch 2-out RBI hits by Josh Bendahan and Rob Cooper cut the deficit to 3-2 after two.
Unfortunately for Canada, Gluckman took over after that, smashing two homeruns – a solo shot to leadoff the 3rd and a 3-run shot in the fourth – while pitching five complete, to lead USA 1 to an 11-2 win and a berth in the gold medal game. Canada 2 would be relegated to Monday’s bronze medal game vs. the loser of the 2nd semifinal between upstart Panama and Canada 1.
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In that 2nd semi, Jason Dinetz took the mound for the Canadians, who hoped for a repeat of their impressive 9-2 win over Panama in round-robin play. Panama, who upset USA 2 on Thursday afternoon, defeated Venezuela Friday morning 10-0, behind a no-hitter by Jacob Dobbah, to earn the 4th seed and the right to play Canada in the semifinals.
I was an ominous start for the red and white, after Panama struck quickly with a solo-shot by their #3 stick, Senor Whoppo, in the top of the first inning to make the score 1-0. Dobbah continued to be effective on the mound for Panama, shutting down the Canadian offense for the first three innings of play to keep the advantage at a run heading into the 4th.
In the bottom of the 4th, Dan Berlin started a rally for Canada by doubling to left-centre, later scoring on an RBI groundout by Ben Gigan to tie the score at 1-1.
In the 5th, Canada broke the game open. Josh Stitt, making his first Maccabi appearance, doubled to leadoff the inning, followed by a well-executed bunt by Jeremy Blustein that resulted in a throwing error to first, allowing Stitt to score with a headfirst slide into home to give Canada a 2-1 lead. After Edi Fisher successfully bunted Blustein into scoring position, Les Bernstein continued his hot hitting by lashing a line drive into Right Field that kicked past the fielder, resulting in an inside-the-park homerun and a 4-1 Canada lead. Berlin would later double and be brought home on a 2-out RBI single by Josh McKinlay to make the score 5-1 through five.
Panama would threaten in the top of the seventh, but a spectacular diving play by Stitt at second base helped preserve the lead and the win for Canada 1, by a final score of 5-2.
Canada 1 will now face USA 1 for the gold medal, while Canada 2 will face Panama for the bronze, on Monday at the Maccabi softball complex.
With two days off before resuming play, we’d like to wish everyone back home a very Happy New Year’s. See you soon!!!