WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Day 1: USA, Mexico, Brazil and Japan win. Korea-Canada postponed
Rain delays affected all games including the opening game Korea-Canada, which was postponed. Japan shut out Italy. Brazil came from behind and walked off South Africa. Mexico built a comfortable lead early. The Netherlands hit two homers, and the US won it on a grand slam by Bryce Eldridge.
Heavy thunderstorms hit Bradenton and Sarasota, forcing the WBSC to postpone the opening game of the XXX U-18 Baseball World Cup between Canada and Korea.
The afternoon games started with a delay of over one hour.
The United States and Brazil earned huge comeback wins, while Japan and Mexico built comfortable leads early in their games and didn't need to look back.
The Netherlands took the lead on home runs by Kendrey Maduro and Jayden Mohamed, but the United States used as much power. They tied it at three and changed the course of the night thanks to a grand slam by Bryce Eldridge.
Kendrey Maduro homered to give the Netherlands the lead against the United States.
Jayden Mohamed made it 3-0 for the Netherlands with a solo home run to the left.
The United States tied it in the bottom of the fourth. DH Aidan Miller hit two triples.
First baseman Bryson Eldridge hit a grand slam to give the US a 7-3 lead.
Carlos Gutierrez had four hits, Yael Romero contributed with four RBIs. Mexico built a comfortable lead early in the game and Australia's comeback came just short.
It took only three batters to Mexico to get ahead of Australia.
Mexico extended the lead to 3-0 before the end of the first and broke the score open with four runs in the top of the fourth.
South Africa took a 5-0 nothing lead into a rain delay, but Brazil proved a different team as the game resumed. After getting just one hit over four innings against starter Robert White, Brazil got to South Africa's bullpen and reversed the lead with a five-run seventh inning.
South Africa stranded three runners in the top of the first against Brazil's starter Joao Marostica.
The right-hander didn't survive the second inning and left for Pedro Pinto with the bases loaded. The reliever got out of the Jam retiring Kyle Schwartz on a groundout.
There's no score after three, also thanks to great defensive plays.
After his great catch, Moegamat Adams batted in South Africa's first and second run on a bases-loaded blooper to right field off reliever Guilherme Dorta. The second run scored after manager Dean McKinon won the challenge on an out call at home.
South Africa thrived on a pair of wild pitches and a defensive error and made it 5-0.
Rain delayed the game after four innings
Joshua Williams took the mound for South Africa in the bottom of the fifth. South Africa added a run in the top of the sixth.
Brazil got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth.
Williams and two other relievers, Jamie Brooks and Josh November couldn't stop a five-run rally by Brazil in the bottom of the seventh. A towering double by catcher Julian Takeda walked it off
Japan used a five-run second at bat to shut out Italy in a game delayed twice by rain.
Japan scored the first run of the XXX WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup. Shogo Asano doubled off Simone Carnevale and scored on a sacrifice fly to the right.
Samurai Japan broke the score open with five runs against Carnevale in the top of the second. Japan made the most of the short ball style of baseball, combining three hits on three bunt attempts. Asano hit a two-RBI single, and Japan leads 6-0.
More rain delayed the game at the end of the fifth.
As the game resumed, Italy go out of the top of the sixth with a double play.
