Shing-Sheng/Taipei City. Brazil needed extra innings to avoid an upset in a 6-5 win over the Philippines. Three runs in the bottom of the seventh erased a two-run deficit en route to the victory. With the win Brazil secures third place in Group A, booking a meeting with Team USA in the quarterfinals. The Philippines finish the II 12U Baseball World Cup with a 0-6 record and seventh place in their pool.
Before the game it was expected that Brazil takes the win in the game, but they had to work much harder to accomplish this goal. The South Americans took a quick 1-0 lead in the first, as Gunn Omosako drove in Raissa Bianco with a single. The Philippines countered in the second with John Natanauan’s RBI double to tie the contest.
In the third Brazil once again got up in front. Bianco doubled for a second time, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by the pitcher. After a groundout Omosako made it 3-1 with a solo home run over the left field fence. But the Philippines were able to strike back for a second time. A RBI double by Francis Villanueva and a RBI single by Ethan Mitschiener tied the game in the top of the fifth and eventually sending it into extra innings.
With the IBAF Extra Inning Rule in effect, the Philippines took the lead for the first time in the contest, scoring twice on a single to right by Villanueva. It was not enough. A wild pitch helped Victor Mascai to cut the deficit to 4-5. A RBI single by Eric Taniguchi tied the game. A pair of walks (one intentional) loaded the bases afterwards with one out and more importantly put the winning run on third base. Moments later Taniguchi raced home to end the game on another wild pitch, giving Brazil a 6-5 victory.
