U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup Day 6: Australia, Japan, Mexico open Super Round with wins

Hosts Mexico beat USA 8-1 in five innings in front of a passionate 1,500-fan crowd at the Fernando Ortiz Stadium to be the only unbeaten side after the first day of the Super Round of the WBSC U-18 Men's Softball World Cup on Thursday.

A grand slam from David Diaz, who was named Player of Day, and a two-hit outing from Carlos Parra led Mexico to a key win in their quest to qualify for Sunday's World Championship Final.

New Zealand vs Colombia	17 - 5	Box score
Venezuela vs Australia	3 - 4	Box score
Czechia vs Argentina	9 - 1	Box score
Canada vs Japan	3 - 4	Box score
Mexico vs USA	8 - 1	Box score

Mexico now sit with a 3-0 win-loss record followed by Japan, who beat Canada 4-1, and USA who both have a two-win, one-loss record.

Australia pipped Venezuela, 4-3, to keep their medal chances alive as they sit fourth with Canada at 1-2 while Venezuela are at 0-3.

Meanwhile, in the Placement Round, New Zealand beat Colombia 17-5 while Czechia proved too good for Argentina, winning 9-2.

Japan opened the Super Round with a 4-1 win over Canada. Three runs in the bottom of the second gave Japanese pitcher Rio Takahashi a three-run lead that proved enough to earn the win. 

Canada reduced the deficit to two runs in the top of the sixth, with a no-doubter from Alexander McGillivray, to make it 3-1. But in the bottom half of the same inning Kazuya Kihara recovered the three-run lead for Japan. 

A four-run frame marked the difference for Australia in their 4-3 win against Venezuela in the first game of the Super Round. The Aussies recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four times to take the lead and never looked back. A clutch two-RBI single off the bat of Coby White was the difference in the game.

Fans around the world can watch all the action on GameTime. The WBSC OTT platform offers Tournament and Daily Passes to watch the WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup.

Super Round

Mexico vs USA

In front of an electric crowd of 1,500 softball fans, Mexico defeated USA, 8-1 in five innings, and remain as the only undefeated team in the tournament. A grand slam from David Diaz and a two-hit outing from Carlos Parra led Mexico to a key win in their quest to qualify for the World Championship Final. 

With the win, Mexico improve their record in the Super Round to 3-0 and will meet Venezuela on Friday at 20:00. USA, meanwhile, have now a 2-1 mark in the standings, and on Friday they will face northern neighbours Canada.

Top 5th - Two more runs for Mexico. With runners on the corners, Brayan Lopez bunted to first to drive in pinch runner Luis Ayon. Four pitches later, Roman Lopez singled in Mexico's eighth run. The host team lead 8-1.

Bottom 2nd - USA answer back with one in the bottom half of the inning. Wylie Baumer drew a walk, and went to third on a single from Brody Von Berge to put runners on the corners, and one out. Baumer scored on a grounder to short stop. The game is now 6-1 for Mexico.

Top 2nd - Mexico jump ahead with a six run rally. Gibbons struggled with his control. A defensive error, three walks and a hit by pitch scored Mexico's first two runs of the game and loaded the bases. David Diaz crushed a rise ball over the left field scoreboard for a grand slam. The home crowd goes into frenzy.

Two of the best pitchers in the tournament will be face to face in the game: Cody Gibbons (USA) and Carlos Parra (MEX).

The top two teams in the Super Round standings close the day, in front of a fully-packed Fernando Ortiz stadium. Mexico and USA are on top of the standings with a 2-0 win-loss record.

Preview - Mexico and USA advanced as first place in their groups and will open the Super Round with a 2-0 records. Mexico is the only team undefeated in the tournament. They will play each other today at 20:00. 

Canada vs Japan

Japan opened the Super Round with a 4-1 win over Canada. Three runs in the bottom of the second gave Japanese pitcher Rio Takahashi a three-run lead that proved enough to earn the win. 

Canada reduced the deficit to two runs in the top of the sixth, with a no-doubter from Alexander McGillivray, to make it 3-1. But in the bottom half of the same inning Kazuya Kihara recovered the three-run lead for Japan. 

Canada outhit Japan, 7-6, but left runners on base in five of seven at bats. 

Takahashi earned the win in a complete-game effort, striking out nine while giving up seven hits and one run. For Canada, Cohen Christner, Nathan Thiessen and Nicholas Neid pitched for the red and white squad. Christner was the losing pitcher. 

Bottom 6th - Japanese shortstop Kazuya Kihara gets the run back with a line-drive homer to left field. Japan's lead is now 4-1 up.

Top 6th - Alexander McGillivray hit a moonshot over the left field fence to put Canada on the scoreborad. The ball cleared the complex, and landed on the street. Japan now leading 3-1.

Top 5th - With Blake Brubacher on second base, Canada's catcher Adrian Green hit a line drive single to left field. Brubacher rounded third and headed home, but he was called out on a perfect throw from Japanese left fielder Ryuki Tsuda. The game is still 3-0 for Japan.

Bottom 3rd - With two runners on, and two outs, Canada's left fielder Daniel Scott makes a nice running catch on the warning track to end the inning. The game remain 3-0 for Japan.

Bottom 2nd - Japan score the first run of the game. Rikuto Yamamoto drew a walk, advanced to third on a pair of grounders, and finally scored on a two-out RBI single from Yuki Ueno. Immediately after, Kanta Iwashiya bunted for an infield single, and Ruito Ono hit a line drive to right field to plate two more runs.

Preview - Canada and Japan, second-place finishers in their groups, have a 1-1 record. Canada come from a huge win yesterday against Australia to clinch second place in Group A, while Japan rested yesterday in Group B. They will meet at 17:00.

Venezuela vs Australia

A four-run frame marked the difference for Australia in their 4-3 win against Venezuela in the first game of the Super Round. The Aussies recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four times to take the lead and never looked back. 

A clutch two-RBI single off the bat of Coby White was the difference in the game. Luke Russell was the winning pitcher in four innings of work, giving up six hits and two runs. He struck out three. 

Australia improved their Super Round record to 1-2 and remain in contention for a spot in the medal games while Venezuela's mark is now 0-3, slimming their chances of advancing to the final day.

Top 6th - It's a one-run ballgame! Yeferson Colmenarez hammered a home run over the left field fence, to make it 4-3.

Bottom 5th - Australia rally and take the lead in the game. Makye Telfer lead off the inning with a double, then Haydan Dobe and Timothy loaded the bases with back-to-back walks. Oliver Stewart drove in the first run with a bloop single to center field, and Dobe scored on a defensive error. Finally, Coby White put Australia in front with a two run single up the middle. The Aussies are up, 4-2.

Top 5th - Juan Carlos Pereira reached first on a lead-off single, and two outs later crossed the plate on a double from Jose Morales to the center field wall. Venezuela lead now 2-0.

Top 2nd - Juan Castillo drives in the first run of the game. With Jose Villavicencio at second base, he hit a single up the middle to give Venezuela 1-0 lead. 

Placement Round

Czechia vs Argentina

Czechia defeated Argentina, 9-2 in six innings, in their first Placement Round game. David Vicha collected four RBIs on two hits, including a two-run home run in the fifth. Czechia is now 3-0 in the Placement Round, and will close their participation in the tournament on Friday with a game against New Zealand. Argentina, 1-1, will face Singapore. 

Top 6th - A two-run single from David Pokorny extend Czechia's lead. The Europeans lead 9-1.

Top 5th - Filip Kuricek hit an RBI single, while David Vicha homered with a runner on to give Czechia a 7-1 lead.

Top 4th - David Vicha plates two with a single to right field. He then scored on a grounder from Ondrej Zborovsky. The European champions are in front, 4-1.

Bottom 3rd - Argentina ties the score with an RBI triple from Tomas Pintos. Tobias Zarlenga scored easily from second. The game is 1-1.

Top 2nd - Czechia is in front, 1-0, with a two-out, RBI single from Adam Bunata.

New Zealand vs Colombia

New Zealand scored 10 runs in the first inning to claim a one-sided victory, 17-5, against Colombia, in the first game of the Placement Round. Cohen Bailey went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, Maximus Russell also had three RBIs while George McCarroll homered for the winners. 

New Zealand improve their record to 1-1, while Colombia now is 1-2 in the Placement Round standings.

Bottom 5th - Julio Rosario singles in Santiago Lara. New Zealand win 17-5

Top 5th - New Zealand send 12 batters to the box to score six more runs. Five different players recorded an RBI in the inning. New Zealand leading 17-4.

Top 4th - Hapene Kumeroa drove in Fletcher Due with a double. It's now 11-4 for the Junior Black Sox.

Bottom 2nd - Colombia strike back. Julio Mercado with an RBI single, and Juan Pablo Luna with a three-run shot. New Zealand now lead 10-4.

Top 1st - New Zealand score 10 runs on five hits. George McCarroll hit a two-run homer to open the score.