Sippel and Lawrick Earn Silver at Pan-Am Games

Coach Lori Sippel and first baseman Sheena Lawrick led Team <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Canada to the softball silver medal in a weather-shortened Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sippel, Canada’s head coach and NU’s associate head coach, and Lawrick, a former Husker and Canada’s starting first baseman finished play with a 3-1 record.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

Canada finished first in its pool with a perfect 3-0 record. The Canadians then fell to the United States in the medal round and were scheduled to face Venezuela in the bronze-medal game with a berth in the gold-medal game at stake.

 

Inclement weather, which forced the tournament’s starting date to be delayed by one day, forced the cancellation of the remainder of the event, and the United States was awarded the gold medal with a perfect 4-0 record while Canada and Venezuela shared the silver.

 

Team Canada has now competed in three major international tournaments this summer in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Sippel has her native country poised to make a run at the medal stand in 2008, as her team is 15-5 this year against a schedule that has featured seven games against the U.S., Japan and Australia, which finished 1-2-3 at last year’s World Championship.

 

Lawrick also has done her part to help her native country post a winning record this summer. Lawrick hit .364 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs in Brazil and is hitting .325 with 10 RBIs through Canada’s three tournaments.

 

Next up for Sippel and Lawrick is the China Cup, in Beijing, Oct. 10-14.

 

Pan-American Games Results (3-1)

Canada 5, Argentina 2

Canada 6, Puerto Rico 3

Canada 1, Venezuela 0 (8 inn.)

USA 7, Canada 0 (6 inn.)

 

Sheena Lawrick Pan-American Game-by-Game

2-for-3, 2B, R, BB

1-for-3, 2 RBIs

1-for-3, 2B

0-for-2

Total: .364 (4-for-11), 2 2B, R, BB, 2 RBIs

 

Lawrick’s Tournament Totals (three tournaments, 20 games)

.325 (13-for-40) 4 2B, 3B, 5 R, 2 BB, HBP, 10 RBI