Keira Bucher pitches Puerto Rico to first-day win over Mexico

World No. 5 Puerto Rico topped No. 4 Mexico in Game 2 of the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup. The Puerto Rican squad took advantage of a pair of defensive miscues to score the only two runs of the match. Keira Bucher pitched a five-strikeout complete game shutout, giving up only three hits.

Puerto Rico’s two runs were scored in the fifht inning, after a pair of bad defensive plays. With runner on first base, Mexican first baseman Romina Ruelas couldn’t glove a fly ball behind her bag, and then threw the ball to no-man’s land in the outfield trying to assist to second base, allowing both runners to score on the play.

Bucher was brilliant from the circle and was credited with the win. She gave up only three hits in the game while striking out five with no walks, in a 61-pitch complete game shutout.

The loser for Mexico was Leanna Garcia, who pitched a good ballgame but didn’t receive support from her offense. She went the distance allowing five hits and three walks, with five strikeouts.