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The photos, tweets and info below courtesy of the WBSC website.
Mexico sealed its qualification to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 with a 2-1 victory over Canada on Saturday at the WBSC Softball Americas Qualifier in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
Dallas Escobedo went the distance, allowing only three hits with nine strikeouts.
Mexico joins Japan, USA and Italy as the fourth qualified nation to the six-team softball competition in Tokyo. It will be the first Olympic participation ever for the Mexican Softball National Team.
Congratulations Mexico 🇲🇽!!! Qualified team to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/dxv2AMXWUc
— WBSC Softball 🥎 (@WBSCsoftball) August 31, 2019
It was the most expected game in the tournament, with the two undefeated teams facing each other and featuring two of the best pitchers in the world: Escobedo for Mexico and Sara Groenewegen for the host team.
Both pitchers retired the side in the first inning, but Holly Speers led off the top of the second with a single to the right side of the field, with the first hit of the game for Canada.
Speers advanced on a soft grounder by Jenn Salling to third base, but then Escobedo fanned Kaleigh Rafter with a high-rise ball, befor Larissa Franklin hit a high chopper down the first baseline, for an easy third out.
In the third inning Canada put the leadoff hitter on base again as Emma Etminzger was hit by a pitch, and Janet Leung sacrificed to put again a runner in scoring position with one out. Victoria Hayward drove in the first run of the game with a line-drive double to center field, to give the host team a 1-0 lead.
Groenewegen started very strong, retiring the first eight hitters she faced, but in the bottom of the third Tatyana Forbes slapped a hard ball to third base for an infield hit, and two pitches later the Mexican left fielder advanced to second base on a wild pitch, however Nicole Mendes bunted to Groenewegen’s hand for the third out.
After a perfect fourth inning for Groenewegen, Mexico came from behind and took the lead in the fifth.
Sashel Palacios led off the inning with a single, Brittany Cervantes hit a grounder to shortstop that Leung couldn’t grab and Chelsea Gonzalez drew a walk to load the bases, with no outs.
Head Coach Mark Smith replaced Groenewegen with Jenna Caira, but the veteran right-hander walked Suzannah Gonzalez to plate the tying run, and one out later Mendez hit an RBI single to left field to give Mexico the 2-1 lead.
🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 Mexico takes the lead with an RBI single by Nicole Mendes!!! pic.twitter.com/9dlSH93zRo
— WBSC Softball 🥎 (@WBSCsoftball) August 31, 2019
Smith brought Danielle Lawrie to the circle, and the veteran struck out Amanda Sanchez and Vidales (the last one with a change-up in the outside corner of the plate) to finish the inning.
In the top of the sixth Kelsey Jenkins lined a double to left-center field to open the inning, but Jennifer Gilbert failed to lay down a bunt, with a fly to third base for the first out and Escobedo struck out Speers with an outside pitch for the second out.
Head Coach Carlos Bernaldez intentionally walked Salling to face Rafter and the decision worked out with the Canadian catcher flying out to right field in foul zone.
In the top of the seventh Escobedo retired the side with a grounder and a pair of consecutive strikeouts to clinch the qualification to Tokyo.
Mexico goes to Tokyo!!! 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽#RoadToTokyo #Softball pic.twitter.com/4IY2np8HHj
— WBSC Softball 🥎 (@WBSCsoftball) August 31, 2019
With a win Sunday over Cuba, Mexico finishes the tournament as the number one nation, undefeated with a 5-0 record in the Super Round, and most importantly with a ticket to Tokyo 2020.