Canada’s softball gold-medal hopes dashed in extra-inning loss to Japan | CBC Sports

Canada, meanwhile, has clinched a spot in the bronze-medal game ahead of its final round-robin game against Italy on Monday at 1:30 a.m. ET. Canada’s opponent is still to be determined.

Japan centre fielder Eri Yamada singled home the game-winning run to break the 0-0 tie.

Each team started the extra inning with a runner on second, but Canada went down quietly in its half.

Twenty-year-old Japanese pitcher Miu Goto struck all six batters she faced in the seventh and eighth innings, setting the stage for the walkoff.

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That performance followed Japanese starter Yukiko Uena who was masterful through six innings, scattering just four hits without surrendering a walk to the typically patient Canadians.

Canada also teetered in the bottom of the seventh as Japan loaded the bases with one out.

The trouble came after shortstop Janet Leung bobbled a ground ball and couldn’t make the throw to first for the second out of the inning, leaving runners on first and third. But after an intentional walk, Yuka Ichiguchi lined out to second and Minori Naito popped up to first after an eight-pitch battle with reliever Danielle Lawrie, who suffered the loss.

Lengthy delay

In the fifth inning, Canadian head coach Mark Smith pulled his team off the field with one out as he filed a formal protest with the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

Though the exact appeal was unclear, Smith had just pulled pitcher Jenna Caira from the game for Lawrie. At one point during the delay, Lawrie handed the ball back to Caira as the latter appeared set to retake the mound.

But when play resumed, Lawrie was pitching. After the lengthy delay, she induced two ground-ball outs on three pitches to keep the game tied.

Canada posed its best threat of the game in the top of the fifth inning following a lead-off double from first baseman Jenn Salling. After Erika Polidori advanced Salling to third with a groundout, Sara Groenewegen was hit by a pitch.

WATCH | Groenewegen’s inspirational journey to Tokyo:

Watch CBC Sports’ The Olympians feature, on Sara Groenewegen. 2:11

But Emma Entzminger struck out and Janet Leung grounded out, leaving a pair on base.

Groenewegen, starting for the fourth straight game, tossed three scoreless innings allowing three hits and a walk while striking out two. Caira come on in the fourth inning and retired four of five batters she faced.

The top two teams following the round robin play for gold, while the third- and fourth-place teams battle for bronze.

Softball and baseball have been scratched for Paris in 2024, but there’s a good chance both will return four years later in Los Angeles.