PANAMA CITY, Panama — In a tense and tightly contested match, the Canadian Junior National Team emerged victorious with a 1-0 win over Nicaragua at the U-18 Pan American Championship, thanks to a stellar pitching performance.
The game, held at the Estadio Nacional Rod Carew, saw both teams locked in a pitcher's duel for most of the morning. Canada's Michael Yusypchuk (Edmonton, AB) was exceptional on the mound, securing the win with a dominant performance that kept Nicaragua off the scoreboard. The right-hander permitted only four hits in the game and punched out eight in the complete game shutout.
The Canadians took the lead early in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back. Leo Cote (Ayer’s Cliff, QC) continued to swing a hot bat in the middle of the Canadian order, sparking things up this time with a single to lead off the second. After Tommy Hanger (Toronto, ON) walked, putting runners on first and second, a fielder's choice by Mason Ault (Hamilton, ON) allowed Cote to advance to third. An error on the throw from second base resulted in Cote scoring the lone run of the game.
Nicaragua's defense was otherwise solid, preventing further damage and giving their offense opportunities to equalize. However, Yusypchuk, with support from his defense, managed to escape unscathed in critical moments.
Yusypchuk came out in the seventh inning with the game on the line and faced the heart of Nicaragua's order but maintained his composure. He struck out Ernesto Tercero looking, got Ernesto Arostegui to fly out, and induced a groundout from Angelo Sobalvarro to secure the final out and clinch a 2-0 start for Canada in the tournament.
Looking Ahead
With this win, Canada preserves its spot at the top of Group A at the U-18 Pan American Championship. Team Canada will look to continue its winning ways as they take on the undefeated Team Mexico at 3:30 PM ET at the Estadio Nacional Rod Carew on August 4th.
Stay tuned with all the action of the U-18 Pan American Championship by following @BaseballCANJNT on X and Baseball Canada on Instagram and Facebook.
