Ulrich Bojarski homers for second consecutive day, leads Australia to first win in the tournament

Australia claimed today its first win of the II U-23 Baseball World Cup, defeating Czech Republic, 5-3. Ulrich Bojarski homered for the second day in a row for the green team and guided his team to the victory.

Australia took the lead in the second episode with an RBI double by Mitchell Warke-Edwards, and then scored on Bojarski’s home run to left field to put the game 3-0. This was his second consecutive homer in two days for the Australian right fielder, after yesterday’s bomb against Venezuela in the ninth inning.

The European team scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second; Martin Cervinka doubled, and then scored on an error by short stop Robert Glendinning.

Australia increased its lead in the top of the fifth inning. Aaron Whitefield bunted for an infield hit, Jess Williams followed with a single to right field, and a defensive error on the play allowed the fourth run for Australia.

Ondrej Furko replaced Lukas Hlouch on the mound, who took the loss at the end of the game (4 IP, 5 R, 8 H, 1 BB, 5 K). However Furko could not avoid Glendinning’s single to left field, which drove in Williams.

Australian starter Nicholas Hutchings had a good start this morning, but got into trouble at the bottom of the seventh. Filip Mostek hit to right field to leadoff the inning, and one out later Jakub Ondracek hit a comebacker to Hutchings, who assisted to second base to start the double play and end the inning. However Glendinning couldn’t catch the ball, leaving runners in first and second.

That play made Hutchings lose control and walked Filip Smola in five pitches to load the bases. Then he hit Marek Chlup to allow the second Czech run.

Lachlan Madden replaced the starter, but he hit Martin Muzik with a pitch and put the game 5-3. Finally, Cervinka connected a line to the center field, well fielded by Whitefield, to put an end to the inning.

Hutchings was the winning pitcher for Australia, allowing 3 runs (none of them earned) in 6.2 innings of work, with 7 hits, 3 walks and 7 strikeouts. Madden relieved him in 1.1 innings, with 1 hit and 1 hit by pitch, while Jack Enciondo took over the ninth, allowing 1 single.

With this result Australia has a 1-1 record, and tomorrow they will play against the Dominican Republic, at 10 am (local time). Czech Republic lost its second game in the tournament, and this Sunday will play against Venezuela, at 20 hs.