Pilgrim Callum walks off dramatic game with grand slam, Canada beats Netherlands to claim Women's Softball World Cup Bronze Medal
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<p>World No. 5 Canada beat No. 6 Netherlands, <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/schedule-and-results/box-score/128825#inning-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="7-6 (opens in a new tab)">7-6</a>, in a dramatic 11-inning third-place game to claim the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024 (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/home" target="_blank">WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024</a> bronze medal.</p>
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<p>"I went out there to put the best thing I had for my team. We've had a lot of good swings all day, Top to bottom, and everybody contributed. I just wanted to add my thing," commented Callum Pilgrim after the game. "This team</p>
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<p>"What a crazy game," commented Canadian manager Kaleigh Rafter. "The Netherlands have been great all tournament. They played a great game today, and I want to give them credit. But look at what these girls did tonight.</p>
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<p>"It's been really close games all week," she added. "We finished sixth the last time we faced the world at the World Games. We kept building. This bronze medal rewards the girls for all the work we did in these last three years."</p>
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<h3><strong>The Live Blog as it happened</strong> </h3>
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<p>Sara Groenewegen put herself into trouble hitting a batter and walking the next two with two outs in the bottom of the first. She retired Laura Wissink to get out of the jam.</p>
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<p>Canada also loaded the bases in the bottom half of the frame as Jessie Van Aalst allowed a walk and a single and hit a batter. C.C. Wong grounded into a force-out at third to end the inning.</p>
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<p>Damish Charles robbed Grace Messmer, the bottom of the second leadoff hitter, of an extra-base hit with a leaping catch in left field.</p>
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<p>The Netherlands took the lead in the top of the third, scoring two runs on three consecutive bunts by Brenda Beers, Dinet Oosting and Suka Van Gurp.</p>
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<p>Laura Wissink broke the score open driving Sara Groenewegen seventh pitch into the left field bleachers for a three-run homer. </p>
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<p>Canada called Morgan Rackek from the bullpen and retired the side in order to end the inning.</p>
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<p>Canada got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI single by Zoe Hicks on reliever Lisa Hop. Suka Van Gurp helped Van Aalst with a leaping catch, and Hop when she manufactured a double play, getting the Dutch out of the inning on her own effort.</p>
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<p>Canada tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Leung and Wong reached on a back-to-back one-out singles Messmer followed with and RBI single, bringing Leung home and pushing Wong to third.</p>
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<p>Marjolein Merkk took over for Hop and struck out Hicks to record the second out. The reliever had a 12-pitch duel with Natalie Wideman, who ultimately won it, smashing a three-run homer in the centre field bleachers.</p>
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<p>In the top of the eighth the Netherlands bunted the tie-break runner, Maxime Van Dalen, to third. A sacrifice fly by Suka Van Gurp gave the Netherlands a 6-5 lead.</p>
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<p>J'dah Girigorie took over for Merkk in the bottom f the eighth. </p>
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<p>Leung bunted the tie-break runner Larissa Franklin to third. Wong popped the fourth pitch behind the third base bag. Oosting got the second out with a running catch, but Franklin beat her throw home, scoring the tying run on the sacrifice fly.</p>
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<p>Grace Messmer reached on a two-out double, becoming the potential winning run at third. Girigorie got Hicks swinging, sending the game to the ninth inning.</p>
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<p>Cindy Van der Zanden failed to advance the tie-break runner, Laura Wissink, as she popped out on a bunt attempt to start the top of the ninth. Annemiek Jansen became the second out as she successfully bunted Laura Wissink to third. Bodrug struck out Damishah Charles to keep the Netherlands scoreless.</p>
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<p>Natalie Wideman bunted Zoe Hicks to third to start the bottom of the ninth. The Netherlands intentionally walked Kelsey Harshman and Erika Polidori to load the bases. </p>
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<p>Callum Pilgri re-entered to pinch hit for Canada but lined out to second base. Franklin popped out to third base to send the bronze-medal game to the tenth inning.</p>
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<p>Rackel moved back to pitcher. Vonk bunted tie-break runner Damishah Charles to third. Beers singled off the glove of shortstop Leung despite a diving attempt, giving the Dutch a 7-6 lead. Rackel retired Van Dalen, but Oosting kept the at-bat alive with a single through the left side. Suka Van Gurp walked to load the bases.</p>
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<p>Leung went down by two strikes in the count, then singled to send Franklin, the tie-break runner, to tie the game again. Girigorie retired the side in order to add one more inning to the bronze medal game.</p>
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<p>Cindy Van der Zanden executed the sacrifice bunt and brought the tie-break runner, Laura Wissink, to third. Jansen popped out to shortstop for the second out, and Rackel struck out Charles to keep the Dutch scoreless.</p>
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<p>Wideman bunted the tie-break runner, Hicks, to third base. The Netherlands intentionally loaded the bases by walking Harshamn and Polidori. </p>
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<p>Pilgrim was all over the first pitch she saw, crushing it well beyond the left field wall for a game winning grand slam.</p>
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<p><strong>Key Links</strong></p>
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<ul><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/schedule-and-results">Schedule/live scoring</a></li><li><a href="https://gametime.sport/">Live Streaming</a></li><li><a href="https://x.com/WBSC">Live clips on X</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@WBSC/videos">Videos</a></li><li><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wbsc/albums/">Photos</a></li><li><a href="https://wbsc.org/en/rankings/softball-m">WBSC/KONAMI Women's Softball World Ranking</a></li></ul>
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<p><strong>Other News</strong></p>
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<ul><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/2024-women-softball-world-cup-super-round-day-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Japan and USA to compete for Women's Softball World Title (opens in a new tab)">Japan and USA to compete for Women's Softball World Title</a></li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/2024-women-softball-world-cup-super-round-day-1" target="_blank">Day 4: Japan and Canada will play one-game play off. The winner will face USA in Final</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/japan-usa-to-open-womens-softball-world-cup-finals-super-round">Japan-USA to open Women's Softball World Cup Finals Super Round</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals-day-3-live-blog">Day 3: Canada join USA, Japan and Netherlands in Women's Softball World Cup Finals Super Round</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/2024-women-softball-world-cup-finals-day-2-live-blog">Day 2: Japan, Netherlands and USA advance to Super Round</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/womens-softball-world-cup-finals-2024-day-1">Japan, Netherlands, USA and Italy open Women's Softball World Cup Finals with wins on Day 1</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup-finals-starts-monday-where-to-watch">WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2024 starts Monday; Where to Watch</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/womens-softball-world-cup-finals-ready-for-takeoff">Women's Softball World Cup Finals: Ready for Takeoff</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/womens-softball-world-cup-finals-introduce-social-responsibility-programme">Women's Softball World Cup Finals unveils Social Responsibility Programme</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/ten-things-to-know-about-the-wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup-finals">Ten things to know about the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup-finals-by-the-numbers">WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals by the Numbers</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup-59-years-of-success-and-glory">WBSC Women's Softball World Cup - 59 years of success and glory</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/womens-softball-world-cup-finals-we-can-compete-against-everybody-italy-head-coach-federico-pizzolini">"We can compete against everybody" - Italy head coach Federico Pizzolini</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup-finals-2024-australia-aiming-for-podium-finish">Australia aiming for podium finish</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/netherlands-hoping-to-claim-first-womens-softball-world-cup-medal-at-finals-2024">Netherlands hoping to claim first WBSC Women's Softball World Cup medal at Finals 2024</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/will-softball-give-puerto-rico-first-world-cup-medal-in-national-team-sports">Will softball give Puerto Rico first World Cup medal in national team sports?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/reika-utsugi-emphasises-speed-and-defence-for-japan-ahead-of-wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup-finals">Reika Utsugi emphasises speed and defence for Japan ahead of WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/china-aiming-for-first-wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup-medal-since-1994">China aiming for first WBSC Women's Softball World Cup medal since 1994</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup-finals-2024-canada-to-rely-on-strong-offence">Canada to rely on strong offence</a></li><li><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-womens-softball-world-cup-finals/news/perennial-favourites-usa-aiming-to-tri-peat-as-womens-softball-world-champions">Perennial favourites USA aiming to tri-peat as Women's Softball World Champions</a></li></ul>
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