TORONTO 鈥� Jesse Hodges of Victoria didn鈥檛 play quite the prominent role he did in leading sa国际传媒 to the silver medal at the 2012 world junior baseball championship in South Korea, a breakout performance that got him a pro contract with the Chicago Cubs. But the Lambrick Park Secondary and Victoria Mariners junior product still comes away from the 2015 Pan American Games with a gold medal around his neck.
It was a wild finish as the U.S. made a shambles of its pick-off attempt in the 10th inning, with the errant throw allowing sa国际传媒 to score two runs for a hair-raising 7-6 victory in the gold-medal game Sunday night in Ajax, Ont. The winning run, by the sliding Pete Orr, came in just under the tag attempt by the U.S. catcher.
鈥淎nything can happen, and you saw what happened,鈥� said Canadian coach and former Toronto Blue Jays player Ernie Whitt.
Hodges鈥� gold brought to 17 medals, including 13 golds, won in events across several sports featuring Island athletes over 10 days of competition. Heading into the final week of Toronto 2015, the more than 50 Island competitors here are closing in on the 21 medals that Island athletes won at the 2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Among those 2011 medallists was six-foot-four pitcher and 2010 San Diego Padres draft pick Mark Hardy of Campbell River, part of the Canadian team that upset the U.S. 2-1 in the baseball final at Guadalajara. Hodges matched that podium achievement on Sunday.
鈥渟a国际传媒 is the defending champion from 2011 in Mexico, which is very exciting and motivating for us to defend at home,鈥� said Hodges, heading into the Games.
鈥淲e have a team of ex-big leaguers and younger guys and I鈥檓 glad to be representing sa国际传媒 again,鈥� added Hodges.
At 21, Hodges was one of the youngest players on the Canadian team and struck out in his lone at-bat in the Games. The big-bodied infielder is hitting .251 with nine doubles, four homers and 23 RBIs in 58 games this year in Single-A ball with the South Bend Cubs of Indiana. The parent club estimated the Pan Am Games experience would be good for his progress and encouraged Hodges to go after he got the invite from Whitt and Canadian team management.
鈥淭he Cubs told me to go to the Games . . . they wanted me to go,鈥� said Hodges.
鈥淚鈥檓 trying to make my way and be the best pro I can be. My goal is the big leagues.鈥�
Canadian starter Jeff Francis of North Delta went seven innings in the gold-medal game and allowed four runs on eight hits while fanning seven. Like former Victoria Mariner Hodges, former major-leaguer Francis is a product of the sa国际传媒 Premier League.
鈥淭he BCPL is a great league and a lot of good players have come out of it,鈥� added Hodges.
Hodges鈥� dad, Steve, was a former pro in the Atlanta Braves system, grand-uncle Berlyn Hodges was also a pro and grandfather Lowell Hodges well known in Island baseball circles.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a baseball family; and I [was] extremely motivated for these Games and in my pro career,鈥� said Jesse Hodges.
Team sports continue to take centre stage mid-week for local athletes at the Games. Canadian team captain and Claremont grad Fred Winters is 2-0 in men鈥檚 volleyball heading into today鈥檚 final pool match against the U.S., while fellow-Victorian Shanice Marcelle, a graduate of Spectrum, is 1-2 with the Canadian women鈥檚 team.
Emma Fletcher of Victoria, an emerging soccer player, is part of the youthful Canadian women鈥檚 development team headed to a semifinal date Wednesday with Colombia in the Games competition taking place in Hamilton. sa国际传媒 dropped its final pool game 2-0 Sunday night against a veteran-laden Brazil team missing only two starters from its 2015 World Cup squad.
Oak Bay High grad Maddie Secco and UVic Vikes products Kaitlyn Williams, Thea Culley and Danielle Hennig defeated Uruguay 2-0 Monday in the women鈥檚 field-hockey quarter-finals.
The Island presence here at the Games concludes with a potential bang in track and field next weekend with Olympians and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games bronze-medallists Cam Levins of Black Creek (5,000 metres) and Mike Mason of Nanoose Bay (high jump) aiming for the podium.
PAN AM NOTES: The Canadian Pan Am Games rowers 鈥� who accounted for three gold medals, one silver and one bronze last week at Toronto 2015 鈥� will be at Centennial Square on Wednesday at 1:15 p.m. for a public autograph event followed by a session at Cafe Bliss.
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