XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Day 10: medal round set, Chinese Taipei and Japan will play for the World Title, USA and Korea for bronze
Day 10 of the XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup set the medal round schedule. The Placement Round suffered again inclement weather in Taichung. Two games were postponed.
In the morning game, Puerto Rico won against the United States, and Korea beat the Netherlands in the afternoon. The results set a three-way tie Puerto Rico-USA-Korea at 2-3. The Netherlands (1-4) finished sixth.
The Team Quality Balance (TQB) broke the tie. These are the positions 3-6 in the Super Round.
3. USA
4. Korea
5. Puerto Rico
6. Netherlands
USA and Korea will play for bronze at 14:00 (local time) on Sunday, 10 September, with the US as the home team.
Chinese Taipei defeated Japan in the night game in front of a house of 7,000, adding to their perfect record. The two Asian powerhouses will meet again on Sunday, 10 September, at 18:00 (local time) for the World Championship final. Chinese Taipei granted home-field advantage.
The Placement Round had again come to terms with rain in Taichung. Two games were postponed to Sunday. Scroll to the end of the page to view Placement Round results, box scores and game reports.
Super Round Results
| Puerto Rico-United States | 4-3 | BOX SCORE | GAME REPORT |
| Korea-Netherlands | 3-1 | BOX SCORE | GAME REPORT |
| Chinese Taipei-Japan | 5-2 | BOX SCORE | GAME REPORT |
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Cinese Taipei-Japan 5-2
Chinese Taipei defence put the crowd on their feet with the first out of the game.
Japan took the lead thanks to a two-out RBI double by cleanup hitter Riku Takeda.
Chinese Taipei took advantage of a wild start by right-hander Koki Takahashi and capitalized on a couple of walks and a fielding error with Chia Wei Lin's RBI single. The hosts scored three runs to reverse the lead.
In the bottom of the second a deep fly by Ting Lun Hsu was caught by centre fielder Minato Maruda. The ball proved to be deep enough to allow Meng Chih Hu to score on the sacrifice fly.
Chia Wei Lin hit a one-out double in the bottom of the third. He reached third as Hsuhn Chieh Lee singled and scored on Chao Hung Chao's sacrifice fly.
Japan got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth. Ren Ogata welcomed reliever Yen En Wang with a single. He stole second with two outs and scored on a double by Kazuki Takanaka
Korea-Netherlands 3-1
Korea used a squeeze play to get ahead and used a perfect defence to support four solid pitchers and beat the Netherlands on their way to a bronze-medal game pass.
Korea took an early lead against Maxwell Cornelissen. Anseok Jeon singled to lead off the bottom of the first and Choongheon Lee brought him to third with a double. With one out, Jihwan Park dropped a perfect bunt and squeezed the go ahead run in. Jeon advanced to third on the play and scored on a groundout.
They made it 3-0 in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI double by Hyunmin Cho.
A perfect execution of a rally from the outfield got the second out of the top of the fourth.
The Netherlands cut the gap to 3-1 in the top of the fourth on Terrance Heemskerk's RBI single to right field. Korea handed the ball to Geonwoo Park, who got out of the inning with a flyout.
Left-hander Mireu Jeon, the fourth Korean pitcher, got the final out of the game with some help from his shortstop.
Puerto Rico-USA 4-3
Puerto Rico came back to win and earn themselves a chance to play for bronze. Relief pitcher Jannette Bonet pitched 4.1 masterful innings, keeping the defending World Champions hitless.
Konnor Griffin put the US ahead in the bottom of the first. He singled, got to third on Levi Clark's base hit and got home as Coy James hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field.
Ediel Rivera scored Puerto Rico's tying run in the top of the third when left-fielder Harld Laracuente got to US starter Levi Sterling with an RBI single.
A diving catch by first baseman Perry Morlando took the defending World Champions out of the inning.
The tie didn't last. Griffin gave the US a new lead when he got to starter José Bulted with an RBI triple. He made it 3-1, scoring on Derek Curiel's sacrifice fly
In the top of the fourth, second baseman Adrian Padro cut the gap to 3-2 as he got to Sterling with an RBI triple to the gap in left-centre.
Puerto Rico missed a huge scoring opportunity. Left-hander John Mc Kernan loaded the bases on a walk and a catcher's interference. He struck out designated hitter Henry Clausell to escape the jam.
He allowed the tying run on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth.
Puerto Rico took their first lead in the top of the seventh, scoring Laracuente from third on a sacrifice fly by Clausell.
Bonet worked a quick bottom of the seventh and secured Puerto Rico the win.
Placement Round Results
| Mexico-Panama | 8-2 | BOX SCORE | GAME REPORT |
| Australia-Spain | 2-0 | BOX SCORE | GAME REPORT |
| Venezuela @ Australia | PPD in the second | PLAY BY PLAY | to resume on 10/9 at 9:00 |
| 16:30 Czechia @ Venezuela | PPD | rescheduled | 10/9 at 11:00 |
- On Day 9: Chinese Taipei and Japan head to World Championship Final
- On Day 8: Chinese Taipei shut out USA, remain only undefeated team
- On Day 7: Chinese Taipei finish undefeated, two games postponed
- On Day 6: USA, JPN, NED tied, KOR to Super Round, TPE-PUR postponed
- On Day 5: Chinese Taipei, Japan, USA, Netherlands and Puerto Rico advance to Super Round
- On Day 4: Chinese Taipei and Japan lead respective groups undefeated
- On Day 3: Chinese Taipei, Japan, USA earn second win
- On Day 2: USA, Panama and Japan win, two games postponed
- On Day 1: Chinese Taipei shut out Australia
