SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN — At the last edition of the International Softball Federation’s Men’s World Championship, Australia won a medal at the event for the first time when they came in third place. Here they are going to do even better, having guaranteed themselves a spot in tomorrow’s gold medal game with a 2-0 victory tonight over Canada.
Steelers pitcher Andrew Kirkpatrick threw a 14-strikeout complete game and held the host team to just two hits, setting up a 3:00 game tomorrow against the winner of the Canada vs. New Zealand matchup at 12 Noon.
The Aussies got all the offense they needed in the top of the second inning, with an insurance run tacked on in the top of the fifth. Catcher Mike Harrow led the way offensively with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, driving in one run.
The day began with New Zealand overcoming a Japan comeback to post a 9-6 extra inning victory to keep their championship title defense hopes alive.
The Black Sox had jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one-and-a-half innings and were up 5-1 after three-and-a-half, but Japan scored four times in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. After each team scored once in the seventh inning, the two clubs headed to an extra inning, when New Zealand was able to bring a trio of runs across the plate that Japan could not answer. The loss eliminated Japan from the tournament. Thomas Makea paced the winners, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.
The USA and Venezuela then took the field for a game that went from being scoreless after four innings to 1-0 in favor of the South Americans after four-and-a-half to the red, white, and blue winning via the run-ahead rule. Team USA scored eight times in the bottom of the sixth for the game to be declared final. Under ISF rules, a game is considered official/complete if one team is leading by 20 runs after three innings, 15 after four, or seven after five.
Blake Miller and Kyle Magnusson each had two hits for the victors and Matt Palazzo had a three-run home run.
New Zealand earned a spot in tomorrow’s ‘bronze medal game’ against Canada with a 7-3 win over USA in tonight’s last game. (Bronze medal game meaning that the loser will get the bronze medal and the winner will advance to the gold medal game against Australia.)
New Zealand got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning but Team USA answered back with two of their own in the bottom half of that frame. The Kiwis regained the lead in the top of the fourth with a run off of a wild pitch, then increased the lead to four on a three-run homer by Daniel Milne.
They would bring one more run home that inning to – other than a meaningless U.S. run with one out in the bottom of the seventh – finish off the scoring and advance to the showdown on Sunday with Canada.
