18U BWC: Australia cruises to win in Jamsil Opener

31/08/2012

Seoul (Korea). After the rained out first day of the XXV IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship in Seoul, Korea, the games started finally on Friday. In the opener at Jamsil Stadium in the morning, Australia downed Colombia 7-4 to start into the tournament successfully. A good pitching performance by Boston Red Sox prospect Daniel McGrath and timely hits helped the Aussies to the victory. Colombia’s offense didn’t wake up until the end, but it was too late.

Seoul (Korea). After the rained out first day of the XXV IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship in Seoul, Korea, the games started finally on Friday. In the opener at Jamsil Stadium in the morning, Australia downed Colombia 7-4 to start into the tournament successfully. A good pitching performance by Boston Red Sox prospect Daniel McGrath and timely hits helped the Aussies to the victory. Colombia’s offense didn’t wake up until the end, but it was too late.

The team from Down Under didn’t waste any time to get up in front. Leadoff hitter Elliott Hargreaves got hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a one-out triple by Aaron Sayers. They doubled the lead in the fifth, taking advantage of wild Colombian pitching as Robbie Perkins pushed another run over the plate with a bases loaded walk. In the seventh and ninth they combined to add five insurance runs. Hargreaves ended up with two hits, a run and two RBI. Ben Leslie scored twice.

They were pretty crucial to the outcome of the game, as Colombia tried to rally at the end. They ended the shutout bid in the sixth with a RBI single by Gerson Jimenez to left. In the ninth they scored three more runs on a RBI single by Wilson Garcia, a bases loaded walk by Fernando Llames and a double play ground ball. However with the latter they also killed the momentum and Australia was able to close out the game.

On the mound hurlers for both games had trouble to find the strikezone, accounting for a combined 19 walks in the game. Daniel McGrath, who had signed with the Boston Red Sox organization a couple of months ago, ended up with the win after a solid outing. He allowed just two hits, a run and four walks in 5 1/3 innings. When he was close to the 75 pitch mark he left the game. Nabil Chrismatt took the mound at the start for Colombia, issuing three hits, two runs and four base on balls in 4 2/3 innings, taking the loss.