BASEBALL: Canada a World Cup contender after defeating USA

Canada  emerged as a World Baseball Cup contender on Sunday, October 9  defeating  the fancied USA team  6-1 at Panama's Rod Carew Stadium.

The US has one more first round  game to play, against undefeated Panama on Monday. Panama is the only team to have beaten Canada and is undefeated.

If the US loses it will be out of the tournament.

Canada’s Brock Kjeldgaard, hit a three run homer off Todd Redmond in the second innings, allowing the Canadian right-hander Shawn Hill  to work comfortably allowing three hits, one run. He struck and walked one and had four strikeouts.

The only run he allowed was on the top of the seventh inning when Matt Clark hit a homer.

However, Canada's offense was not satisfied with three runs in the second act and the top of the ninth produced three more to seal the victory.

The U.S. team will play their final game Monday at Rod Carew Stadium after it was rained out last Saturday.

"I think this win goes all around Shawn Hill,"  said Canadian manager, Ernie Whitt, former catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. "Today he showed the veteran presence that he has and I just can't say enough about the way he pitched today.

The Mississauga, Ontario native kept the U.S. batters off balance most of the game. Hill didn't allow a hit from the second through sixth innings.

Kjledgaard's homer to left field in the second inning came with nobody out after Jimmy Van Ostrand walked to lead off the inning and Emerson Frostad singled.

Canada had a chance to add to its lead in the seventh with the bases loaded the bases and only one out, but weren't able to cash in.

The U.S. finally got to Hill in the bottom of the seventh when Matt Clark hit a solo home run to lead off the inning. After a strikeout and a walk, Hill was replaced by Chris Kissock, who got out of the inning unscathed.

Hill's outing saw him go 6 1-3 innings while giving up one run on three hits and striking out four.

Canada added three insurance runs in the ninth. Tim Smith picked up two RBIs with a single up the middle and scored on a double to left field from Kjeldgaard.

Kissock stayed in the game and pitched a ninth inning that included a strike out of the final batter.

"It's a great win for us but there's still some room for improvement," Whitt said. "As we go forward in this tournament we have to continue to improve and limit the mistakes we make."