20/07/2024 4 Minute Read

Callum Pilgrim walks off dramatic game with grand slam, Canada beats Netherlands to claim Women's Softball World Cup bronze medal

The Netherlands took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth. Canada won it in the 11th when Callum Pilgrim hit a walk-off grand slam.

World No. 5 Canada beat No. 8 Netherlands, 11-7, in a dramatic 11-inning third-place game to claim the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024 bronze medal in Castions di Strada, Italy on Saturday.

With the game having gone into extra innings tied at 5-5 and 7-7 after 10 innings, Callum Pilgrim became a Canadian hero with a superb walk off, grand slam over left-centre field.

"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.

"There's a lot I could say about this team," she added, "the one thing I know is that we know how to fight."

The game was a repeat of the two teams' Super Round game on Thursday when Canada came from behind to walk off the Netherlands 6-3. On that day, the European champions took a 3-2 lead and were within two outs of the win, but Larissa Franklin's three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning gave Canada a dramatic win.

Pilgrim, 27, a veteran of Canadian softball national teams since 2015 and the senior side since the 2017, also homered against the Netherlands on Thursday - her only homers of the Finals.

It is Canada's fourth Women's World Cup bronze medal to add to third-place finishes in 2018, 2016 and 2010 and a silver medal in 1978 and moves them to fourth outright in overall medals won with five behind USA (17*), Japan (13*) and Australia (8). *Includes WBSC Women's Softball World Cup Finals 2024 results.

The Netherlands were aiming for their first WBSC Women's Softball World Cup medal and a first for a European nation having finished in fourth place behind USA, Japan and Canada in 2016.

The likes of Canadian catcher/1st baseman Zoe Hicks will have a chance to win a second WBSC World Cup medal this year when she participates in the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup presented by CARNEXT later this month.

"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.

"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."

The Live Blog as it happened

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.

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.

Damish Charles robbed Grace Messmer, the bottom of the second leadoff hitter, of an extra-base hit with a leaping catch in left field.

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.

Laura Wissink broke the score open, driving Sara Groenewegen's seventh pitch into the left field bleachers for a three-run homer.

Canada called Morgan Rackek from the bullpen and retired the side in order to end the inning.

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.

Canada tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Leung and Wong reached on back-to-back, one-out singles. Messmer followed with an RBI single, bringing Leung home and pushing Wong to third.

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.

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.

J'dah Girigorie took over for Merkk in the bottom of the eighth.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 10th inning.

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.

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.

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.

Wideman bunted the tie-break runner, Hicks, to third base. The Netherlands intentionally loaded the bases by walking Harshamn and Polidori.

Pilgrim was all over the first pitch she saw, crushing it well beyond the left field wall for a game winning grand slam.