Ken Eriksen Leads Team USA to Gold at Pan Am Games
USF head coach led Team USA to its ninth Pan America Games gold medal with a 3-1 win over Canada. The squad defeated its friends from the Great White North to reclaim the gold medal after falling short in 2015 to Team Canada.
LIMA, Peru, AUG. 12, 2019 – Led by USF head coach Ken Eriksen, Team USA defeated Canada to earn the gold medal at the 2019 Pan America Games in Peru. The team turned the tables on Canada after a 3-2 loss in the semifinals, earning a 3-1 victory to take home the gold over the weekend.
The win gave Team USA its ninth gold medal in the 11 years that the Pan Am Games have been held and returned the U.S. to the top after a second-place finish at the 2015 Games. Canada is the only other team to win the gold with first-place finishes in 1983 and 2015.
Eriksen and the U.S. team finished with a 5-0 record in the preliminary round, outscoring opponents, 37-1, in that time frame. Team USA only allowed a run against Canada in a 6-1 victory on Aug. 6.
In the semifinals, the Eriksen’s squad met Team Canada once again, dropping the game, 3-2, which set up a duel with Puerto Rico for the rights to the second spot in the gold medal game. Team USA took care of business against the island commonwealth by winning, 3-1, to set up the rubber match with the Canadians.
In the rematch, Team USA’s Monica Abbott allowed only one run on four hits in a complete game victory. On offense, Michelle Moultrie led the Americans, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs batted in. Moultrie also delivered the game-winning hit with a single that scored Kirsti Merritt to give the Americans a 2-1 lead in the sixth.
Looking forward, Team USA has already clinched a berth for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The Americans won gold at the 2018 Women’s Softball World Championship while earning one of the six spots for the 32nd Olympiad in Japan.
About USF Softball
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 15 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2012.
– #GoBulls –
