It was a historical game. USA versus Canada in the first ever Women’s Baseball Gold Medal Game at the Pan-American Games in Toronto, Canada. And the USA squad was determined to make sure the game wasn’t close.

After scoring four runs in the first inning, the USA extended their lead 5-0 in the third frame, watched it be sliced to 5-3 in the fourth, but scored six runs over the final two innings to rout the Canadians 11-3 and claim the gold medal at the first ever international women’s baseball event.

The Americans received three RBI apiece from starting pitcher Sara Hudek and her battery mate Anna Kimbrell, along with two RBI from third baseman Michelle Snyder to fuel the USA’s 12-hit offensive attack on Sunday afternoon.

Canada stranded the bases loaded in the first inning against Hudek and the USA. Energized by their defensive stand, they would pounce on Canada starter Vanessa Riopel. Riopel recorded just one out before being relieved in the first inning.

The Americans loaded the bases in front of the cleanup hitter Hudek, who sliced a single to right field to score two runs. After a fielder’s choice putting runners on the corners with one out, second baseman Jenna Marston poked an RBI single of her own, taking Riopel’s 2-1 offering to left field for a 3-0 lead.

Riopel was yanked having surrendered three runs and reliever Amanda Asay inherited two runners. She allowed one of those runners to score when a throwing error by shortstop Bradi Wall allowed a run to score on a potential double-play ball. Besides that blip, Asay escaped the inning, down just 4-0. The Americans scored their only run off of Asay in the third, staging a mini two-out rally when Marston tripled and Snyder singled her in for a 5-0 advantage.

However, Canada promptly responded with three runs in the top half of the fourth inning. Rebecca Hartley singled and scored on a double into the right-center field gap by Jenna Flanigan. The Canadians proceeded to load the bases with nobody out, but Flanigan was then thrown out at home on a force play for the first out. Hudek was done for the day on the mound and Stacy Piagno (W, 2-0) entered the contest but allowed two inherited runners to score. She walked Asay to score a run and then surrendered an RBI groundout which cut the USA lead to 5-3.

The game stayed that way into the fifth inning, at which point the Americans broke it open with three runs in the frame. After 3.2 innings of superb relief, Asay moved to first base and Claire Eccles took over. Eccles struck out Hudek to start the stanza but that was the only out that she would record. A walk, single, and intentional walk loaded the bases and Eccles exited the game in favor of Jessica Berube. Berube induced a pop out and it looked like Canada might escape the inning unscathed, but Kimbrell collected all three of her RBI with one swing of the bat, ripping a three-run double to deep center field and breaking the game open.

Berube finished the inning but then handed the ball over to Melissa Armstrong who struggled in the sixth inning. Hudek picked up her third RBI, tripling the ninth USA run with one out. Samantha Cobb followed with a single up the middle, pushing the USA lead to seven runs. Snyder completed the scoring with an RBI double later in the inning. Meanwhile, Piagno was spectacular in relief of Hudek firing 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, both in the fifth inning, while striking out four. She finished the game with a hitless seventh inning, giving the USA the first ever women’s baseball gold medal.

USA finished the tournament 5-0 while Canada finished 4-2 and claimed the silver medal. Venezuela took the bronze.