AJAX, Ont. – In the bottom of the 10th inning of Sunday's Gold Medal game in the 2015 Pan Am Games between Canada and the United States, former Southern Arkansas baseball standout Skyler Stromsmoe was right in the middle of a wild sequence of events that eventually saw his native Canada emerge victorious over the US.
 
In that bottom of the 10th with Canada trailing 6-4, Stromsmoe, a two-time Academic All-American, all-region, and two-time All-GSC player while at SAU, was placed at first base along with another Canadian player who was placed at second base to begin the inning due to the international tiebreaker rule that was in place for the games.
 
Following a strikeout on a bunt attempt by Canada's leadoff hitter, former major leaguer Pete Orr hit a RBI single to pull Canada to within a run, 6-5, and in the process move Stromsmoe, who represented the tying run, into scoring position.
 
Moments later Stromsmoe would score that tying run from second base as a pickoff attempt of Orr at first base was errant and into right field. Seconds after Stromsmoe scored the tying run, Orr raced home for the winning run for Canada as the throw into third base following the errant pickoff was wild as well.
 
In his career at SAU, Stromsmoe hit .331 (145-for-438) with 30 doubles, six triples, six homeruns and 76 RBIs. A speedster on the base paths, Stromsmoe swiped a total of 103 bases in 117 career attempts for a success rate of 88%. His 103 career stolen bases rank second all-time at SAU. Additionally, in 2007, Stromsmoe would steal a SAU single-season record 52 bases.
 
Upon leaving SAU, Stromsmoe was signed by the San Francisco Giants as a free agent in 2007 and has spent the last nine years in the Giants' organization. Currently with their AAA club, the Sacramento River Cats, Stromsmoe had previously represented his home country of Canada and helped them win the Gold Medal in the 2011 Pan Am Games.