Photo by: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
Caira Wins Bronze in Tokyo
7/27/2021 9:06:00 AM | Softball
The first Olympian in Syracuse Softball history also became the first Olympic medalist early Tuesday morning when Canada earned a 3-2 win over Mexico. Jenna Caira '12 pitched one and two thirds innings of relief allowing one earned run on three hits in the victory. Canada has appeared in five Olympic Games but Tokyo 2020 marks the first time the Canadian's bring home a medal.
Canada led 2-0 after two innings but Mexico cut the lead in half in the top of the third inning. Caira entered the circle in the fourth and had a clean slate in her first inning. She ran into some trouble in the when she gave up a leadoff single to centerfield. A sacrifice bunt put the tying run in scoring position for Mexico and three batters later Suzannah Brookshire drove in Mexico's second run with a single to right field tying the game 2-2. Danielle Lawrie came in to close the game after Mexico tied things up. Canada went ahead in the bottom half of the fifth to take back the lead and Lawrie's struck out four batters over the final 2.1 innings to secure the win.Â
Caria finishes her Olympic debut with a 1-1 record in five appearances with a 1.24 earned run average in 11.1 innings.Â
Caira, a four-year letterwinnner for the Orange from 2009-12, began playing for her native Canada in 2009. With softball's return to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Caira made her first Olympic squad. The all-time leader for wins, appearances, shutouts and innings pitched at Syracuse now adds Olympic medalist to her long list of career accomplishments. Caira was the first player in Big East history to record 1,000 career strikeouts and was named NFHCA All-American as a senior in 2012. Caira has been playing with Team Canada since 2009.Â
Softball made its return to the Summer Olympics for the first time since 2008 this year and will take a hiatus for 2024 before returning to Olympic competition in Los Angeles in 2028.Â
Canada led 2-0 after two innings but Mexico cut the lead in half in the top of the third inning. Caira entered the circle in the fourth and had a clean slate in her first inning. She ran into some trouble in the when she gave up a leadoff single to centerfield. A sacrifice bunt put the tying run in scoring position for Mexico and three batters later Suzannah Brookshire drove in Mexico's second run with a single to right field tying the game 2-2. Danielle Lawrie came in to close the game after Mexico tied things up. Canada went ahead in the bottom half of the fifth to take back the lead and Lawrie's struck out four batters over the final 2.1 innings to secure the win.Â
Caria finishes her Olympic debut with a 1-1 record in five appearances with a 1.24 earned run average in 11.1 innings.Â
Caira, a four-year letterwinnner for the Orange from 2009-12, began playing for her native Canada in 2009. With softball's return to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Caira made her first Olympic squad. The all-time leader for wins, appearances, shutouts and innings pitched at Syracuse now adds Olympic medalist to her long list of career accomplishments. Caira was the first player in Big East history to record 1,000 career strikeouts and was named NFHCA All-American as a senior in 2012. Caira has been playing with Team Canada since 2009.Â
Softball made its return to the Summer Olympics for the first time since 2008 this year and will take a hiatus for 2024 before returning to Olympic competition in Los Angeles in 2028.Â
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