The WBSC U-23 Men’s Softball World Cup Opening Round finished on Wednesday in Parana, Argentina, with six games at Nafaldo Cargnel Stadium and El Plumazo. that confirmed the places of teams advancing to the Super Round.
Australia and Japan advanced earlier as the winners of Group A and Group B, respectively. Canada and Mexico advanced as second place finishers, while Argentina and New Zealand qualified in third place.
Australia and Japan will start with 2-0 cards in the Super Round as they finished on top of the group standings, followed by Canada and Mexico with 1-1 records. Argentina and New Zealand will have a 0-2 record following group play.
Full information are available at the tournament website.
Softball fans around the world can watch all the action on GameTime. A tournament pass for $9.99 (US dollars) will give subscribers access to all 50 games of the tournament, while six-game daily passes will be available for $5.99 each day.
Day 5 games
Singapore vs Argentina
Singapore’s pitchers Aloysius Ong and Huzaifie Bin Mohamad lost the strike zone in the bottom of the second. Six walks, two wild pitches and two passed balls allowed Argentina score five runs in the second. The hosts gained a decisive lead of 7-0.
Lucio Retamar gave Argentina a 2-0 early lead in the game with a two-run single to the left field. Juan Cruz Bambozzi and Alan Peker crossed the plate for the host team.
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Japan vs New Zealand
The Asian champions connected three consecutive singles and a double to score four in the fifth. Yuta Motozuka, Tomoki Kikukawa, Kaito Miyamoto were credited with the RBIs to lead Japan to a 5-0 victory.
Japan scored first in the game, when Koki Sato brought in Tomoki Kikukawa with a single to left field in the top of the third. In the same play Yoshinari Matsumoto was thrown out at home plate.
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South Africa vs Mexico
Mexico scored six in the fourth inning. Iran Torres hit an RBI single up the middle to score Jorge Martinez. In the same play, Junior Flores and Torres himself scored on an error by centre fielder Rian Hattingh.
Iran Torres put Mexico in the scoreboard with a single to second base in the second inning.
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Israel vs Canada
One inning later, Canada scored twice and ended the game. Dallas Kipfer hit a walk-off single up the middle to score Thomas Baker.
In the bottom of the fourth, Canadian shortstop Brant Wiebe doubled in McKay to extend the lead to 5-0.
Canada started the game with a three-hit, four-run rally in the bottom of the first inning. James Shirley and Mason McKay hit an RBI triple each.
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Australia vs Czechia
A defensive error and an RBI single by Thomas Cass in the top of the fourth inning gave Australia a 2-0 lead and eventual win over Czechia.
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Team WBSC vs Venezuela
In the bottom of the seventh, Juan Castillo tripled to right field with one out, and Michell Chirinos delivered a line drive to the center field warning track, scoring the game winning run.
Venezuela loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Team WBSC reliever Juan Diego Morales escaped the jam with a pop up fly to second base and a strikeout. After the sixth inning, the game is still tied 2-2.
Team WBSC tied the score 2-2 in the top of the fifth. Julio Castellanos singled and Juan Ramos doubled to place two runners in scoring position, and both scored with a grounder by Juan Diego Morales and a clutch two-out single by Sebastian Ponce down the right field line.
One inning later, Venezuela added one more run. With runners in the corners, Angel Adames scored on a double steal play, giving Venezuela the lead 2-0.
In the second inning, Venezuelan second baseman Joiser Falcon drew a walk with one out, advanced on a hit by pitch, and scored with a two-out double by Jose Leon into shallow left field.
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