Fernando Lopez two hits and three RBI helped Mexico end their U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup campaign on a positive note as they wrapped up in five innings with a 9-1 win over Singapore on Saturday, finishing in eighth place at the Colquhoun Park in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Other notable performances came from Khristian Ramirez who had 2 hits and 2 RBI, while Abelardo Peñuelas and Jesus Rivera scored 2 runs each in Mexico’s final game in the tournament. Their pitcher Yahir Abelaiz worked all five innings with 5 hits and 5 strikeouts and earned his first win of the tournament in two appearances.
Mexico had a fiery start in the bottom of the first inning. After a quick out, Singapore pitcher Jason Cheng struggled with a pair of walks, a single and a hit by pitch, allowing the first Mexican run and forcing a pitching change. Ace Mathew Tan went into the circle but couldn't avoid more damage, allowing Ramirez and Rivera crossing the plate for a 3-0 edge for Mexico.
In the third inning, Ramirez produced again with an RBI double that plated Jesus Hurtado and extended the Mexico lead 4-0.
Two innings later, with pinch-runner Francisco Encinas in first base, Eloy Flores singled up the middle and both players scored on a fielding error by left fielder Nathanael Wee to bring Mexico up with a 6-0 advantage. Later Josue Martinez hit an RBI single to the left side and Fernando Lopez closed the 5-run inning with a 2-RBI single, giving Mexico a 9-0 advantage.
Singapore managed to score their only run in the fifth inning with a run-scoring single by Ean Eu, his fifth RBI of the tournament, that allowed Zu Low to reach the plate.
Coming from a sixth place result in the last Junior Men's Softball World Championship 2018, Mexico finished their participation in the U-18 Men's Softball World Cup 2020 in the eighth place, equaling their lowest finish ever (2016).
Singapore finishes the Placement Round with a 2:3 win:loss record and must wait for the other scores to know their final position in the tournament.