The Canadian women's softball team used a four-run eighth inning and a clutch pitching performance from Gophers sophomore Sara Groenewegen in Sunday's Pan Am Games final to beat Team USA 4-2 in extra innings for its first gold medal since 1983.
Groenewegen pitched all eight innings, striking out seven and allowing one earned run on six hits.
"I just came off a season from school and I pitched a lot of innings there. I pitched seven-inning games all year, so I was ready for it," Groenewegen told the Canadian Press. "This is the best game we've played all year, and it's perfect timing.