The bronze medal game for softball is set. Canada will face Mexico to determine which team will join the U.S. and Japan on the podium.
The Canadians enter the game riding the high of their 8-1 victory over Italy which only took six innings and invoked the mercy rule. Pitcher Danielle Lawrie started and allowed four hits and one unearned run before reliever Lauren Regula took over to seal the deal with three hitless innings. Pitchers Sara Groenwegen and Jenna Caira did not see any action.
Jen Gilbert helped Canada to an early lead with a solo home run in the second, and Larissa Franklin doubled in the third to bring another runner home. Canada scored three unearned runs in the fifth inning, and Italy couldn't get enough going on offense to keep up with the third-ranked team.
SEE MORE: Softball at the Tokyo Olympics
Mexico eliminated Australia with a 4-1 win and will look to avenge an earlier loss to Canada. The first time the teams met in Tokyo, Canada shutout Mexico in a 4-0 victory.
Against Australia, Mexico went up early. In the second inning, Suzannah Brookshire tripled to left field to score Brittany Cervantes. Brookshire then added a run of her own to put her team up 2-0.
In the fourth inning, Tatyana Forbes and Victoria Vidales scored two more runs. Mexico finished the game with 11 hits to Australia's five.
Team USA's spot in the gold-medal game was already secured before it downed Japan 2-1, but the victory gives the Americans the advantage of the last at-bat in the final game of these Olympics. The game will be a rematch of the 2008 Beijing gold-medal game which Japan won 3-1.
