WBSC U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup Day 3: Australia and Mexico lead Group A. Japan and New Zealand on top of Group B. Pepe's no-hitter lifts Argentina
New Zealand defeated Team WBSC, 7-0, to open Day 3 of the WBSC U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup at Nafaldo Cargnel Stadium. Venezuela topped Israel, 5-2. Australia and Mexico came from behind to beat South Africa and Singapore respectively. Japan beat Canada, 5-1. Juan Jose Pepe tossed the first no-hit, no-run in the history of the WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup to lead Argentina to a key victory.
Day 3 of the WBSC U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup ended on a high note, as Argentina's Juan Jose Pepe threw the first no-hit, no-run in the history of the WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup. Pepe set a record of 19 strikeouts to lead Argentina to a much-needed win.
Australia and Mexico claimed a pair of comeback wins against South Africa and Singapore, respectively, to remain undefeated in Group A. Japan and New Zealand posted solid wins over Team WBSC and Canada to stay as leaders in Group B.
Juan José Pepe retired the first 18 batters he faced, striking out 19 of them. He ended up with the first no-hitter of the competition.
Argentina scored their two runs in the second inning. Lucio Retamar reached first with a lead-off single to right field, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored the first run of the game with an RBI single by Khalil Luna, who advanced to second with the throw. One pitch later, Alejo Muñoz brought him in with a single to right field.
Japan added three in the bottom of the third, on a fielding error, an RBI triple by Ryuji Okawa and a single by Yuta Motozuka. In the fourth, Isaac Lefevbre put Canada in the scoreboard with a homer that went over the right field bleachers. Canada's lone run was made on a losing effort at 5-1.
In the first inning, with runners on second and third, Koki Sato hit a hard grounder to second base to plate a run. Canada’s Isaac Lefevbre made a great diving catch to glove the ball, but his throw allowed the runner on second to score in the play.
In the sixth, an RBI single by Junior Flores and a two-RBI triple off the bat of Luis Rodriguez gives Mexico a three-run lead.
Mexico tied the game in the fifth inning. Abelardo Penuelas scored the 5-3 with a sacrifice fly by Junior Flores, then Luis Rodriguez hit a line drive to right field and Max Koh failed to make a diving catch, allowing Rodriguez to round the bases and tie the game with a two-run inside-the-park home run.
In the bottom of the fourth, Mexico reduced the deficit with a two-out double by David Diaz, allowing Iran Torres and Alejandro Villalobos to cross home plate. The score was 5-2 for Singapore.
Joshua Tan went deep over the left fielder fence for a three-run homer that give Singapore a 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Then Jeron Tan added one more with an RBI single to bring Max Koh home.
Singapore tookan early lead in the top of the first with an Auric Chia RBI single to plate Ean Eu.
South Africa tied the game 3-3 in the fifth, with an RBI triple by Tyler Croft. But Australia answered with five runs in the bottom half, including a solo homer by Thomas Cass, and a two-run double by Jeremy Garland that sealed game victory for the Oceania side at 8-3.
Australia mounted a three-run rally in the fourth to take the lead in the game, with three consecutive extra-base RBI hits: triples by Riley James and Haydan Dove, and a double by Jeremy Garland.
Tyler Croft doubled in the third inning and scored with a two-out RBI single off the bat of Kiddo Malematja. South Africa is up 2-0 in the middle of the third.
South Africa grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Tsatsi Thlabanelo singled up the middle and knocked in Malematja
Both teams scored two runs in the fourth. Jose Leon with a bases-loaded walk and Angel Adames with a single produced the runs for Venezuela. Israel answered with a two-run double off the bat of Bar-Arie Shrim, to make it 4-2.
Venezuela scored twice in the first inning, after four defensive errors by the Israel defence in the top of the first.
In the sixth inning, Te Kirika Cooper-Nicola brought in Mumu with a single to centre field to make it 6-0. The Oceania team added one more in the seventh.
RBIs by Brock Evans (single), Mumu (grounder), and Huw Davies (single) help New Zealand to extend the lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning.
Tane Mumu lead-off the game with a triple to right field and scored on a grounder to second base. New Zealand lead 1-0.
