WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Day 4: Venezuela, Mexico, Chinese Taipei clinch spots in Super Round; Dominican Republic, Japan get first wins
Venezuela defeated Panama; Mexico was perfect against Italy; Chinese Taipei closed the day beating South Africa. The Dominicans earned their first-ever victory in a U-12 Baseball World Cup.
After Day 4 of group play, four squads have clinched berths into the six-team Super Round of the VI WBSC U-12 World Cup. The United States earned their spot out of Group B on Sunday. Venezuela, Mexico and Chinese Taipei qualified on Monday out of Group A. The seedings and final composition of the Super Round will be determined after the Opening Round is concluded.
Chinese Taipei allowed only a walk to South Africa and won in five innings, 12-0.
The defending World Champions didn't waste time and scored two runs before South Africa could record the first out.
In the bottom of the third, Chinese Taipei's shortstop Shu-Wei Yeh made a brilliant diving catch, with hitter Sean Cupido applauding the hit-robbing play.
The hosts broke the score open in the top of the fourth and added three runs in the fifth. Chinese Taipei had 12 hits, with left fielder Yu Hsiang Yeh going 3-for-3.
Shao Chieh Ko and Yun Zhou Qiu combined on a no-hitter. READ MORE
Despite the loss, South African players appreciated the atmosphere and appeared to be having the times of their lives, joining in on a mid-game dance routine.
Venezuela-Panama
Wiillangel Sanchez and Sebastian Das Neves shut out Panama as Venezuela earned their fourth consecutive win, 7-0.
Clean-up hitter Josè Ramos singled off Omar Vargas to put Venezuela ahead of Panama in the top of the first.
Vargas left after four and Venezuela broke the score open against Enmanuel Herrera in the fifth, with six runs on six hits.
Sanchez earned the win for Venezuela. Reliever Sebastian Das Neves earned the save without allowing a hit in the last two innings. READ MORE
Mexico-Italy
Mexico beat Italy in five innings, 14-0.
Italy's starter Tommaso Destro allowed six runs on six hits, including three doubles, and couldn't get out the top of the first.
Ezequiel Rivera hit his third home run in four games.
Mexico scored seven runs in the second and one in the third. Pitchers Edgard Melgar and Bryan Espinoza combined for a perfect game against the Europeans. READ MORE
Dominican Republic-Korea
The Dominican Republic erased a four-run deficit and beat Korea, 5-4, after two extra innings to earn their first-ever win in a U-12 Baseball World Cup.
Korea got on the scoreboard early, as right fielder Seungwoo An tagged Jorge Jimenez for a two-out, bases-loaded single for the day's first run.
Korea extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second on back-to-back doubles by pitcher Woochan Jung and center fielder Doyul Lee. Left-handed reliever Jerson Guzman took the mound with his team trailing 4-0.
The Dominican Republic got to reliever Yungeon Shin in the bottom of the fourth and thrived on a couple of errors to tie it at four.
In the bottom of the eighth, Juwon Jung walked Enmanuel Castro with the bases loaded for the Dominican Republic's winning run.
The Dominican Republic was the last National Team to arrive in Tainan. The WBSC had a chance to talk to manager Alvaro Samboy. Watch the pre-tournament interview.
Japan-Czech Republic
Three Japanese pitchers combined for a no-hitter, while their offence had 17 hits, including a home run and four doubles, to defeat Czechia, 15-0, in four innings. Samurai Japan earned their first win in the tournament.
Left fielder Rui Takeda homered in the bottom of the second off Martin Fajmon to give Japan a 2-0 lead.
Samurai Japan pounded Fajom and reliever Ondrei Pus, scoring nine runs in the second and six runs in the third, before closing out the game in the top of the fourth.
