XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup-Day 2: Japan, Panama and USA win in Group B; Two games postponed in Taichung
Group B favourites Japan and the United States opened their XXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup campaigns with wins with victories over Spain and the Netherlands receptively on Friday while Panama outscored Venezuela to also sit on top after Day 1.
Bad weather put a damper on the first day of games in Taichung, forcing the postponement of the Group A games between Czechia-Mexico and Puerto Rico-Korea.
Day 2 Results
| USA-Netherlands | 2-1 | BOX SCORE | GAME REPORT |
| Czechia-Mexico | Suspended | Reschedeled on 6 September | Time to be defined |
| Panama-Venezuela | 13-4 | BOX SCORE | GAME REPORT |
| Puerto Rico @ Korea | Suspended | Reschedeled on 6 September | Time to be defined |
| Japan- Spain | 10-0 (6 innings) | BOX SCORE | GAME REPORT |
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Japan-Spain 10-0
Samurai Japan took an early lead, displaying the consistent pitching and impressive defence their manager Shiro Mabuchi had announced. Later in the night, they added some power swings, ending the game in six innings.
Japan made the most of the back-to-back walks Spanish starter Juan Salazar allowed to start the game. The U-18 Samurai advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, scored on a sacrifice fly by Haruto Morita, added a run on a defensive error and made it 3-0 on a base hit by Ren Ogata.
The U-18 Samurai broke the score open with five runs in the top of the second against relievers Elia Geronimo and Jordi Moreno. Ruosei Terachi tripled, Maruta Minato, Haruto Morita and Shinnosuke Chibana singled.
Japanese shortstop Hayaka Kobayashi impressed for his defensive skills
Second baseman Ren Ogata walked off the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two-RBI triple.
Panama-Venezuela 13-4
In the top of the first, Panama took a five-run lead that they would not surrender. Despite matching the number of hits at ten, Venezuela never came closer than two runs.
Panama got to Venezuela's starter, Sebastian Sanchez, with back-to-back one-out singles by Edwin Walden and Hector Rayo, scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Yeremi Sanchez hit a two-out RBI single and made it 2-0. An inside-the-park three-run home run by Dima Oda extended Panama's lead to 5-0.
After Venezuela put the first run on the board on a pair of defensive errors, Rayo got starter, Benjamin Gonzalez, out of the first as he turned a chopper by first baseman Randy Soto into an inning-ending double play.
Julio Casas batted in Panama's sixth run in the top of the second. A double play started by second baseman Carlos Garces got Venezuela's reliever Oscar Melgarejo out of the second.
Venezuela cut the gap to 6-3 in the bottom of the third thanks to a two-out and bases-loaded single by first baseman Randy Soto.
They added a run in the bottom of the fourth against reliever Efrain Cubilla. Francisco Rivero hit a leadoff double and scored on a single by Esmeichel Arrieche.
Panama scored a pair of insurance runs in the top of the fifth. José Bernal doubled off Melgarejo to make it 7-4, and Juanangel Perez, the third Venezuelan pitcher, allowed another run on a wild pitch. Yeremi Sanchez batted in the ninth run in the top of the sixth.
Panama broke the score open in the top of the seventh against Kenny Dania. Julio Casas doubled, and Josè Bernal tripled to extend the lead to 13-4.
Kelvin Contreras pitched the final three innings for Panama.
Czechia-Mexico postponed
Czechia and Mexico played only the top of the first before the umpires were forced to suspend the game under heavy rain.
The game started with a one hour and 45 minutes delay because of rain but was suspended after the top of the first because of heavy rainfall.
Czechia and Mexico will face each other on 6 September. The time is to be determined.
USA-Netherlands 2-1
The United States used a two-run fifth at-bat to beat the Netherlands and open their U-18 Baseball World Cup with a win. The game was a pitching duel between left-handed starters Ethan Schiefelbein and Maxwell Cornellissen for four innings.
Dutch catcher Keegan Pieternella caught stealing right fielder Konnor Griffin and helped the Netherlands get out of the bottom of the first. The US stranded two runners.
The US missed a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the third. Centre fielder Derek Curiel stole second, advanced on a throwing error and tried to score when the ball went beyond the third base bag. Shortstop Amarencio Franka gor it at the plate.
Left-hander Ethan Schiefelbein allowed only one hit and two walks to the Netherlands over four innings while striking out eight. He also got some help from his defence.
The US handed the ball to right-handed fireballer Bryce Rainer, who showcased some good velocity.
The reliever worked two quick outs before second baseman Tai Tromp reached on a fielding error. Tromp advanced in scoring position on a walk and scored the go-ahead run on Amarencio Franka's single up the middle.
The US reversed the lead in the bottom of the fifth against relievers Maarten Smit and Gijs Van den Brink. Shortstop Manuelle Marin led off with a double, and the defending U-18 World Champions took advantage of a pair of walks and a defensive error.
Trey Gregory-Alford took care of the final four outs for the US.
