Czech Republic shocks defending U-23 World Champions Mexico

Czech Republic shocks defending U-23 World Champions Mexico
24/09/2021
The Europeans had only two hits, but one was a base clearing double by center fielder Marek Chlup.

World No 16 Czech Republic knocked off World no 5 - and the reigning U-23 World Champions -Mexico 5-1 at Estadio Yaquis in Ciudad Obregon on Thursday night in an opening night stunner.

The game was scoreless after two innings before Mexico’s starter Saul Castellanos ran into trouble in the top of third.  The 24-year-old right-hander hit the leadoff man and walked two of the next three hitters to load the bases for Vojtech Mensik.  The Czech shortstop singled into left-field to open the scoring and center-fielder Marek Chlup cleared the bases on the very next pitch with a double to the corner in left.

"I was expecting a fastball outside in that situation," commented Chlup after the game. "I think he missed the location and I got the most of it."

Staked to a 4-0 lead, Czech starter Ondrej Satoria frustrated the Mexico hitters with a mix of devastating offspeed pitches and great location. The right-hander kept Mexico off the board through five innings, allowing just three hits and striking out four through the first five frames.

"I knew from the start that Mexico's hitter would be aggressive," commented Satoria. "I used my fastball only inside, fed them a lot of off speed stuff and the plan worked."

Mexico’s offense came to life in the sixth.  Fabricio Macias led off with a single, and he scored three batters later on a Brandon Valenzuela groundout.  A Tirso Ornelas base hit knocked Satoria out of the game, but 18-year-old Michel Kovala was able to get out of a bases loaded jam to keep his team up by four. 

Kovala retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to nail down the save and put the Czech Republic – a nation that finished 12th out of 12 teams in the 2018 edition of the WBSC U-23 World Cup - into a tie for first place atop the Group A standings. 

Mexico will look to rebound on Friday night against a Cuba national team that had it’s game rained out on Thursday. 

"We will need to do better at bat against Cuba," said Mexico's manager Enrique Reyes. "Tonight we couldn't deliver with runners on base."

The Czech Republic will look to make it back-to-back victories on Friday in a matchup with Thursday’s other Group A winner Chinese Taipei.