July 31, 2024

By Melissa Verge

Canadian Baseball Network

It was as dramatic, and as perfect for Canadian ball fans as it gets at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay Wednesday evening.

A grand slam smashed off the bat of Canadian catcher Lucie Anctil clinched a spot in the bronze medal game for the Canucks at the Women’s World Cup. The ball was crushed down the right field line, giving the Canadians a 10-0 walk-off mercy rule victory in the fifth against Venezuela.

The win punches Canada a ticket to Saturday’s medal matchup, with their opponent still to be determined pending Thursday’s game, likely the winner of the Mexico-Venezuela match-up.

At first, Anctil (La Pocatière, Que.) didn’t know she’d hit a grand slam, she said in a post-game interview.

“Honestly I was running for my life to second,” Anctil said.

It was only after that wild sprint around first that she realized, to her and her teammates’ excitement, that the ball had left the park. That grand slam was part of a seven-run rally in the fifth that broke the score open and gave Canada its walk-off mercy rule win.

It’s an important victory for them, Anctil said, after a tough loss Tuesday night.

“It makes us feel more confident for the bronze medal,” she said.

Jaida Lee (St. John’s, Nfld.) got the start for Canada at Port Arthur Stadium, in a game where Canada was outstanding on both offence and defence, evening their World Cup record at 2-2.

After a quick top of the first for Lee, Canada got its bats going early against Venezuela. In the bottom of the first, Sena Catterall (Montreal, Que.) smashed a ball to right centre for a one-out triple off a pitch from Venezuelan starter Mariana Natera. Next to the plate, Maddie Willan (Edmonton, Alta.). drove her home, with a double to left, for a 1-0 Canuck lead.

In the third, Canada added more offence. Mia Valcke (St. Marys, Ont.) hit a chopper towards the mound for an infield single. Catterall pulled a single of her own into right, moving Valcke to third. Catterall, always a threat on the base paths, stole second, putting two runners in scoring position for Canada with nobody out.

Valcke was then tagged out at the plate on a Willan grounder. But Canada wasn’t finished in the third. Andréanne Leblanc (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.) hit a ground-rule double under the left field fence, scoring Catterall, giving Canada a 2-0 lead. A fly ball by Alizée Gélinas (Trois-Rivières, Que.) then put Canada up 3-0.

Yet, Canada’s biggest inning was still to come. The seven runs for Canada in the fifth inning started with Catterall, bunting her way on. She then stole her second base of the night and scored when Leblanc crushed a pitch off the wall in right centre, giving Canada a 4-0 lead. A rocket off the right field wall by Alizee Gelinas cashed in another, making it 5-0.

Matlock singled up the middle with the bases loaded, extending the lead to 6-0. But it was the grand slam by Anctil that sent both teams home early after the fifth, making 10-0 ... over and out.

The Canadians embraced on the field at Port Arthur Stadium, a sea of red and white, celebrating the win.

Lee was a highlight on the mound for Canada with an impressive start that kept Canada in the game from start to finish. Lee allowed one hit and walked three, while striking out four.

Catterall had an outstanding low liner catch in centre in the top of the fifth, stealing a hit away from Venezuela as well as going 3-for-3.

In other World Cup games, Team USA shut out Chinese Taipei 9-0 to secure its spot in the gold medal game. Japan also blanked Mexico 10-0 to join the US in the world championship final. Teams USA and Japan have met four times in the World Cup finals, with the US taking gold in 2004 and 2006, and Japan in 2012 and 2014.

The winner of the Mexico-Venezuela game Thursday will play Canada for bronze on Saturday.

Canada will take the field against Chinese Taipei Thursday night at 7 p.m. E.T. for their final game of round-robin play.

As for their energy level going into the last stretch of the tournament?

“A 10 out of 10,” Anctil said. “We’re ready to play for the medal. I know it’s not the gold. but if we can finish in third it would be amazing in front of our families.”