Australia 4-3 Czech Republic: James leads the way in seven-run thriller

Australia 4-3 Czech Republic: James leads the way in seven-run thriller
22/02/2020
The Australian Junior Men’s National Softball Team is the most successful program in history, having won four consecutive championships from 1997 to 2008 while the Czech Republic are European champions.

Australia earned their first win of the U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup, with a come-from-behind victory over Czech Republic, by a score of 4-3. In the bottom of the sixth, Riley James tripled to lead off the inning and then scored the fourth and last run of his team.

Australia jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning, with Jeremy Garland scoring off a Boston Lowe RBI double to right center field.

However, in the top of the third, the Czech Republic scored twice to take a 2-1 lead thanks to a pair of singles from Jan Voracek and Adam Vavrecka.

One inning later Australia tied it up 2-2 with Caleb Van de Griendt batting in James before Joshua Banks singled down the left field line for Kynan Molander to cross for the go-ahead run in the fifth.

James scored again off a fielding error in the sixth before the European champions scored one in the top of the seventh with Voracek crossing to make it a one-run game. And that's where it would stay with left handed pitcher Jack Besgrove claiming out number 21 with a grounder to second base.

Besgrove pitched 3.2 innings, allowing 1 hit and 1 run, with 3 strikeouts while Jakub Osicka was charged with the loss for the Czech Republic (6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 7 SO).