PONCE, Puerto Rico -- Adam Loewen hit a mammoth two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh Monday to give Canada a walk-off 13-2 mercy victory over Argentina at the Pan Am Games baseball qualifying tournament.
The Surrey, B.C., native finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBI's.
Canada (2-1), which is tied for second in Group B with Venezuela, hammered out sixteen hits against Argentina (0-3).
The top eight teams advance to the 2011 Pan American Games, while the top six also qualify for the 2011 IBAF World Cup. The tournament runs through Oct. 10.
"I think we came out today and made a statement," said Chris Robinson, who had three hits and had an RBI for Canada. "We stayed with our plan, which was to go with the pitch and take (the ball) the other way and I think it worked out for a lot of us."
Robinson was also behind the plate for starter Mike Johnson, who pitched all seven innings, giving up two runs, ten hits and no walks while striking out five batters. More importantly, Johnson gave the Canadian bullpen a much needed day off.
"It was a huge start that gave our bullpen a rest," Robinson said. "He's a big game pitcher and has been with this club for a long time. He pitched really well."
Johnson kept the scrappy Argentinean side off the scoreboard with the exception of giving up a run in the third and fifth innings.
"He was able to establish the (strike) zone early in the game," Robinson added.
Canada opened the scoring in the second when Loewen and Robinson scored on a double from Jonathan Malo. On the play, Robinson was interfered with while rounding third base and was originally thrown out at home plate after bowling over the catcher. The umpiring crew reversed the call, but not before Malo was thrown out at third while he tried to take an extra base.
Canada added two more runs runs in the fifth to take a three-run lead, and broke the game wide open an inning later with six more.
The team batted around and scored runs when Loewen smacked a two-run double and Robinson nailed a line drive to centre field that scored another run.
The bottom of the seventh began with a single from Jimmy Van Ostrand which set the table for Loewen's blast.
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