Canada Walks Off USA In First Masters' Clash
Game 3 for the Canadian Masters Men Softball team featured another epic match up between the Canadian Team and Team USA at Kibbutz Maor at 12:00 pm on July 10, 2017.
The last game between these two long time rivals, featured a walk off grand slam that won the 2009 Gold Medal for Canada. This match up ended with another walk off Canada victory, with an rbi single ending the see saw battle.
The game featured a one-two pitching combination of Murray Margolis and John Marshall for Canada facing off against Fred Cohen of Team USA.
Canada came out once again with a first inning run to take the lead, with a home run off the bat of USA nemesis David Goldstein, and then scored runs in all but one of the innings that followed, never giving up the lead, only to see Team USA chip away and ultimately tie the game 8-8 in the top of the 7th. Team Canada continued its gutsy tradition of coming back from adversity by loading the bases with one out in the 7th inning, and then driving in the game winner with an rbi single from Robbie Cooper to finish the drama.
Murray Margolis started the game hot, taking down the first few batters of Team USA with his overpowering pitches and retiring the side. The 2nd inning was more dramatic with Team USA chipping away with walks and ultimately scoring a run to tie the game. Murray settled in for the 3rd inning with a shutout inning and Team USA chipped away in the 4th to score 3 more to make it closer. Murray gave way to John Marshall who pitched the second half of the game and kept the game in check in the 5th. Team USA never quit, but John was up to the task as he contained the threat with some key strike outs to leave the game tied after the top of the 7th, leaving the rest of the work to the bats to win the game.
The Canadian Masters hitting was led with value from throughout the lineup including:
- Big slugger David Goldstein who continued his hot hitting against Team USA with a solo home run to open the scoring in the 1st inning, a single, a walk and a big triple to ultimately score the 8th run of the game, his 4 run scored of the game;
- First baseman Jeff Michaels who continued to scorch the ball with a big single and an even bigger 2 run home run to right field to push the lead in the middle innings, part of his 3 rbi, 2 run game;
- Shortstop Stephen Goldsmith with an opposite field solo home run to right field to push the lead to 3-1;
- Second baseman Mike Krestell who continued his hot hitting with another 3 hit day, driving in the 2nd run of the game and leading the team with hitting from the bottom up;
- Right fielder Colin Halpern with another booming extra base hit, this time an rbi double to score a run and also drawing a walk and a hit by pitch to round out his day;
- Centerfielder Robbie Cooper who drove in the game winning run with a walk off rbi single to end the 7 inning game;
- Left fielder Gavin Ziv who continued to hit for extra bases with a double and run scored and nice work in left field;
- Mark Bendahan who drove in a run and also drew a key walk in the 7th to start he big comeback tie breaker;
- Third baseman Steve Bleiwas who singled in the 7th to keep the line moving and the inning alive;
The Canadian Masters move to Game 4 at Kibbutz Gezer on Tuesday July 11, 2017 at 5:00 pm against Team Israel.
