WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Day 3: Chinese Taipei beats Mexico; Korea defeats Japan; Venezuela, US undefeated; Panama gets first win

WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Day 3: Chinese Taipei beats Mexico; Korea defeats Japan; Venezuela, US undefeated; Panama gets first win
31/07/2022
Mexico's Ezequiel Rivera homered again, but Chinese Taipei got to him when he took the mound in the fifth. Japan suffered a second consecutive loss. Venezuela scored 25 runs vs. South Africa. USA's Levi Kerr limited the Dominicans to a couple of hits, and his offence backed him with ten hits. Panama got to Italy's Sabrina Bottazzi, the first girl to start a game in the VI U-12 Baseball World Cup, after struggling for two innings.

The VI WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in Tainan, Taiwan, is showcasing itself as a best-versus-best global competition. Venezuela in Group A, and USA and Korea in Group B are the only teams that remain undefeated after three days of action at Tainan's Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadium. The US U-12 National Baseball Team (3-0) today became the first squad to clinch a place in the six-team Super Round.

USA- Dominican Republic 10-0 (5 innings) BOX SCORE
Panama- Italy 10-0 (5 innings) BOX SCORE
Korea-Japan 3-1 BOX SCORE
Venezuela-South Africa 25-0 (4 innings) BOX SCORE
Chinese Taipei-Mexico 3-1 BOX SCORE

THE STANDINGS

Chinese Taipei-Mexico

Chinese Taipei trailed early but overcame the deficit to beat previously undefeated Mexico, 3-1

Third baseman Ezequiel Rivera homered off Sheng Zhi Wu to put Mexico on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. It was Rivera's second home run of the tournament.

Chinese Taipei was quick to come back. Left fielder Yu-Hsiang Yeh doubled off Johnny Jimenez and scored on an error in the top of the third inning.

The defending World Champions scored the go-ahead runs on the hits when Rivera replaced Jimenez on the mound with one out in the fifth. READ MORE

Japan-Korea

Korea earned their second win defeating rival Japan, 3-1. World No. 2 Korea is now 2-0 in the U-12 World Cup in Tainan, while world No. 1 Japan has fallen to 0-2.

Left fielder Rio Ishikawa doubled off Seungowoo An in the top of the second to put Japan ahead, 1-0.

Second baseman Seunghyun Park doubled off reliever Akihiro Kobayashi to reverse the lead for Korea in the bottom of the third inning.

Lead off hitter Jung Woochan added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly. He then protected starter Seungwoo An's win, pitching 1.1 innings for the save.

READ MORE

Venezuela-South Africa

Venezuela outscored South Africa, 25-0, for an early four-inning contest.

Catcher Samuel Torres homered off Zubair Moosa to put Venezuela ahead in the bottom of the second.

Venezuela's offence combined 22 hits against four South African pitchers. Sebastian Figueroa earned the win, allowing only one hit over three innings. READ MORE

USA-Dominican Republic

The United States defeated the Dominican Republic, 10-0, in five innings.

Left fielder Colin Anderson doubled off Marlon Polanco to put the US on the board in the bottom of the first. The US extended their lead on a home run by catcher Cristian Matos.

The US went on to close the game in five innings. Levi Kerr went the distance for the win, allowing only two hits, while striking out eight. READ MORE

The Dominican Republic was the last team to reach Tainan.
"It's been difficult for us," told manager Alvaro Samboy to the WBSC. "Many kids on the roster live in provinces far from the capital and never leave our country. It's 12-year-olds who have fun sharing this with their teammates. They are excited about the event and what it means to participate in a WBSC event. Probably, I'm more tired than the kids. They are motivated and can't wait to start."

The video interview with Samboy will be available later.

Panama-Italy

Panama needed only five inning to defeat Italy, 10-0.

Italy's manager Stefano Burato gave the ball to Sabrina Bottazzi, who became the first girl to start a game in the VI WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup.

Panama got to Bottazzi in the bottom of the third with a couple of doubles by center fielder Jaime Escudero and first baseman Joswal Guerra. The starter left with the bases loaded, and Panama broke the score open against reliever Antonio Vaio. READ MORE