Canada Win’s Bronze At 2024 WBSC

Photo Credit Softball Canada

Canada took eleven innings to pull out the win over the Netherlands, managing to secure Bronze medal at the 2024 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup after a walk-off grand slam by Abbotsford’s Callum Pilgrim for the 11-7 victory. 

Team Canada trailed most of the contest given that the Netherlands took the early lead in the top of the third scoring five runs. 

The inning started with a pair of singles followed by a Canadian error putting runners on first and third that saw a single one run score and a bunt close to the plate, which was called safe by “Blue” making it 2-0. 

The Netherlands then hit a three-run home run, extending their lead to 5-0 but the bottom of the fourth saw Mississauga’s Janet Leung led off with a walk, followed up by a single to LF off the bat of Port Coquitlam’s  CC Wong..

Zoe Hicks (Boissevain, Man.) scored Leung with a single to the left getting Canada on the board albeit still trailing by 5-1 only until the bottom of the sixth.

Down  by four runs Canada’s Leung hit a single to RC only to be followed by another single to LF from Surrey’s Wong. 

Grace Messmer then hit a single up the middle, scoring Leung sending Wong to third with two outs

Canada was still trailing by three when Mississauga’s Natalie Wideman hammered a three-run home run after a twelve-pitch battle that saw them pull even at five. 

The sea-saw battle continued with the Netherlands taking a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth that saw Leung hit a “Sac” bunt advancing Franklin to third with a “Sac” pop-up by Wong tying the game at six.

Nothing in the ninth but the top of the tenth saw the Netherlands score one with Canada’s Franklin scoring the tying run at seven.

The 11th saw Hicks start on second that saw Wideman advance her to third on a “Sac” bunt that would bring up Canada’s top of the lineup. 

The Netherlands intentionally walked Delta’s Kelsey Harshman and Polidori, managing to load the bases.

Pilgrim hit the first pitch, hammering a grand slam over the LF fence finishing an impressive hard fought game for Team Canada winning the Bronze medal.