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LIMA, Peru – Canada’s men’s baseball team will get an opportunity to win a third consecutive Pan Am Games baseball gold medal tomorrow night (7PM ET) at the Del Triunfo Baseball Field against Puerto Rico.
The spot in the championship contest was confirmed following Canada’s 10-0, mercy rule win over Nicaragua highlighted by Phillippe Aumont’s (Gatineau, QC) brilliant seven-inning outing on the mound along with home runs from Tristan Pompey (Mississauga, ON) and Jonathan Malo (Joliette, QC).
“We needed to win this game to set ourselves up for tomorrow and were able to accomplish that today,” said Manager Ernie Whitt. “Phillippe was outstanding for us and really set the tone for us early on.”
With the exception of back-to-back hits to start the fourth inning, Aumont retired 21 of 23 batters faced and struck out three in a brilliant performance.
“I prepared well and was focused (on the mound),” explained Aumont of his performance. “We scored early which helped and I got more comfortable out there pitching with a bigger lead as the game went along.”
Pompey’s solo homer to centre in the first gave Canada an early lead before the offence put up three more runs in the second frame with Jonathan Malo, Rene Tosoni (Port Coquitlam, BC) and Wes Darvill (Langley, BC) all driving in runs.
Malo’s solo blast in the fourth put Canada in front by five before Eric Wood (Oshawa, ON) came to plate in the seventh with Canada up 9-0 and singled to right field to score the tenth run that invoked the mercy rule.
Canada will now get a chance to avenge Friday’s loss to Puerto Rico coming in the gold medal game.
“It should be fun, our guys will be ready,” added Whitt. “We’ve got such great chemistry on this team with a group that plays hard for one another.”
Canada’s run of success at the Pan Am Games began with Whitt’s first stint as manager of the national team in 1999 with a bronze medal win in Winnipeg followed by gold medal wins over the United States in 2011 (Guadalajara) and 2015 (Toronto).
UP NEXT: Sunday’s gold medal contest against Puerto Rico at the Del Triunfo Baseball Field in Lima is set for a 7PM ET.
To stay up-to-date with Canada’s men’s baseball team in Lima be sure to follow @baseballcanada on Twitter.
To follow the Pan Am Games baseball competition including standings, box scores and statistics, please visit the Official Lima 2019 website.
