FUKUSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Six outs from her second Olympic no-hitter, Monica Abbott was clinging to a one-run lead when she walked Canada’s Jen Gilbert leading off the sixth inning, and pinch-hitter Sara Groenewegen lined a 0-2 pitch to the right-center field gap.
Center fielder Haylie McCleney picked up the ball at the wall and fired to Ali Aguilar. The second baseman made a perfect one-hop throw to catcher Aubree Munro, who moved up the third-base line and swiped a tag on sliding pinch-runner Joey Lye for the out.
“It’s fun to be on the mound to watch that,” Abbott said after her one-hitter led the United States over Canada 1-0 on Thursday in the first of three one-run softball games. “I don’t want to give up a hit like that, but, man oh man, it took a lot of confidence in me on our defense.”