26/11/2022 - 04/12/2022

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XVII Men's Softball World Cup 2022 - Official Payoff

WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Finals Day - As It Happened

WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Finals Day - As It Happened
04/12/2022
World Championship Final: Australia beat Canada to win second title. USA claimed fourth bronze medal after beating defending champions Argentina 2-0.
  • It was the first time Australia and Canada play a WBSC Men's Softball World Cup final.
  • And the first time that Argentina and USA play off for the bronze medal at the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup

Bronze Medal Game: USA 2-0 Argentina Box Score and Photos
World Championship Final: Australia 5-2 Canada Box Score and Photos

Welcome to finals day at the 17th WBSC Men's Softball World Cup at Rosedale Park in Auckland, New Zealand. It's a stunning day in Auckland for a spectacular finale to the premier international softball event in the world. A real celebration of softball!

Australia v Canada

Congratulations are made on the diamond pregame to New Zealand softball legends Thomas Makea, Jackie Smith, Lindsay Edwards and Nardi Clark for their induction into the WBSC Softball Hall of Fame.

Sean Cleary on the mound for Canada after pitching the near perfect game yesterday against Cuba.

Great start by Australia, second pitch saw Scott Patterson hit Sean Cleary's rise ball for a double to the centre field fence. Nick Shailes then doubled to right field. Mitchel Kronk's hit doen the left field foul line, allowed Patterson to score before a wild throw from Shane Boland at third, saw Shailes also get home. Amazing start for Australia, up 2-0 after their first turn at bat.

Jack Besgrove starting on the mound for Australia. He quickly got into his work and apart from a walk to Brad Ezekiel it was three strikeouts for the 19-year-old who starred for Australia at the WBSC U-18 Men's Softball World Cup in 2019.

A bad throw from Cleary to Colin Walsh at first allowed Patterson to scamper to second base before Callum Beashel scored him on a ground ball to left field. Australia 3-0 top of the first.

1976 world champion Terry Nunns was interviewed on Whakaata Maori TV saying "its an honour to be here" at Rosedale Park for the final of the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup.

Change of pitcher for Canada in the top of the fifth with Justin Schoefield on for Cleary.

First hit for Canada came from Shane Boland, a single to right field in the bottom of the first. Walsh then followed with a fly ball keeping Beashel busy in right field. With Besgrove firing around 130kms and runners on the corners, Brad Ezekiel could only pop the ball pack to the pitcher for Canada to lose the scoring opportunity.

Ty Sebastien gets on base after a bad throw to James Todhunter at first before Boland hits him home from second base with a single to right field to pull one back for Canada.

Still plenty thinking Canada can win their fifth title still with two innings left but a superb double play by Julian Jemmott at short stop to Brendon O'Byrne at second on to Todhunter at first closed it at 3-1, bottom of the fifth.

But up stepped Nick Shailes, who resides in Canada, who hit a bomb over centre field, just over the outstretched glove of Ezekiel to put the Australian lead back to three before Todhunter hits it passed the diving Derek Mayson at third base to score Josh McGovern. australia up 5-1 in the sixth.

With Matheiu Roy on base after being walked, Canada couldn't capitalise as Quinten Bruce hit it back to Besgrove who took the easy out at first. Australia up 5-1 heading into the seventh.

Although Beashel got on base with a double to left field, Schoefield got Canada out of trouble. One last turn at bat to make difference in this final.

With two outs, Walsh doubles to left field to score Ryan Boland and make the score 5-2 but Shane Boland was next up and ground out to Shailes at third base who fired it over to Todhunter at first to spark the Australian celebrations.

Bronze Medal Game - USA v Argentina

It's USA v Argentina for the bronze medal game first up. It's the first time these two teams have played off for a medal at the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup. Argentina beat USA 9-0 at the 2019 edition of the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup. Argentina also beat USA 3-1 in April at the Pan American Men's Softball Tournament, a qualifier for this event.

Roman Godoy starts for Argentina on the pitching mound. Bradley Kilpatrick on for USA.

Beautiful conditions as the crowd (and not the clouds) rolls in. 0-0 after two innings. Argentina with three hits - Alan Peker, Two Migliavacca and Mariano Montero - compared to Nic Mullins from USA but can't get any runner home, so far.

Still locked up after three. Argentina still leading the hit count though 4-2.

Pitching change for Argentina with super star pitcher Huemul Mata in the game.

Close to our first home run with Santiago Carril hitting Kilpatrick out of the park over the left field foul line.

We have our first homer with Yusef Davis smashing a bomb over just of left centre field. Alan Peker jumped and tried to catch it but it was just too far. USA 1-0 Argentina.

Blaine Milheim also got home in the same inning. USA 2-0 Argentina.

Another change on the mound for Argentina with Martin Gonzalez on for Mata, who wasn't his usual self giving up five hits and two runs from his two innings of work.

The deadlock stayed all the way to the last out with dedicated hitter Francisco Lombardo striking out with Kilpatrick, who pitched Australia to the 2018 U-18 World Championship title, finishing the game with 13 strikeouts from his complete game.

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