Czech Republic 6-3 Singapore: Osička leads Czech Republic to Super Round with win over Singapore

Star pitcher Jakub Osička once again wore the cape for Czech Republic as he toppled Singapore’s comeback to win 6-3 and advance to the Super Round at the U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup with a 3:2 win:loss record.

Osička collected seven strikeouts in three relief innings to save the game. Adam Buchner and Vit Koči also helped their squad head into the next phase after hitting three and two RBIs respectively, while three RBIs came off the bat of Singapore’s Mohammad Bin Mohammad.

After a scoreless opening frame, Kočí fired a double to the centre field to plate Tomáš Trtílek and Tadeáš Kalčv for a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, Buchner belted a three-run homer and put the Singaporeans deeper in a 5-run hole, but in the bottom of the same frame Bin Mohammad brought his team to life after firing his own 3-run homer to come to within two. This forced Czech Republic to field in Osička, who immediately halted Singapore’s resurgence to close the inning still in the lead 5-3.

In the top of the seventh Vasicek socred on a wild pitch, giving the European champinos a three-run lead.

Osicka, the tournament-leading pitcher—who carries a record of 50 strikeouts and a 1.38 ERA—, immediately shut out Singapore’s batters in the last inning to close out the match for Czech Republic 6-3.