Fresno State Athletics
Mackin, Canada Win Gold Medal at Universiade
8/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Aug. 21, 2007
FRESNO, Calif. - Canada's softball team, playing at the 2007 Universiade in Thailand, won the Gold medal in dramatic fashion this past weekend. The Canadian team, down 4-0 to Chinese Taipei in the bottom of the seventh inning, scored 5 runs, without one batter being put out and won the game 5-4. Fresno State pitcher Robin Mackin came in relief to pick up the victory.
This is the Canadian women's team's first Multi-Sport Games Gold medal since the Pan-American Games in 1983.
Canada, which sported a 6-0 record in the event going into the game, faced off once again against Chinese Taipei. Canada had previously beaten Chinese Taipei 6-0 in the round robin and 2-1 in the play-off round. Chinese Taipei earned their way into the Gold medal game with a 7-0 run rule shortened (6 innings) victory over Japan.
Chinese Taipei struck for another run in the third inning to extend their lead to 4-0. A pitching change for Canada in the 4th inning brought Robin Mackin in and she finished up the game, allowing no runs. The Canadians, while managing to put together 5 hits through the first 6 innings, continued to struggle to get timely hits.
The bottom of the 7th inning was another story. Down 4-0 Megan MacKenzie (University of Akron) opened the inning with a triple. Pinch hitter Becky Hartley (Simon Fraser University) then singled, scoring MacKenzie. Up next was pinch hitter Megan Timph (California University of Pennsylvania) who singled. That was followed by an RBI single from Melanie Mathews. With the score now 4-2 Jennifer Salling (University of Oregon) singled bringing in another run and narrowing the gap to 4-3. With Salling on first and Mathews on third, Noemie Marin (University of Minnesota - Duluth) stepped up to the plate and delivered a double that scored both runners and gave Canada a historic come from behind Gold medal win.
Coach Lori Sippel (University of Nebraska) was delighted with her teams' never say die attitude, "We came out in the bottom of the seventh believing that we could still get the job done. We will celebrate this win tonight and then the focus will return tomorrow to the work required towards our ultimate goal at next year's Olympic Games." Sippel was a player on that last Women's Canadian Gold medal team at the 1983 Pan-American Games.
The line score for the game showed Chinese Taipei with 4 runs on 4 hits and no errors. Canada racked up 5 runs on 11 hits and had 2 errors.
