GameTime Classics | Episode 54: Mexico, Puerto Rico battle for an Olympic berth

GameTime Classics | Episode 54: Mexico, Puerto Rico battle for an Olympic berth
17/05/2020
The two rising softball nations played a key match in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifiers.

The Women's National Softball Teams of Mexico faced Puerto Rico last August to open the Super Round of the WBSC Softball Americas Olympic Qualifier. Two Olympic tickets were available in this tournament. The game was played in Surrey, British Columbia, and was critical for both teams. Puerto Rico advanced with 1-1 record from Group A, and Mexico (2-0) was still undefeated in the tournament after winning Group B.

A victory for Mexico would put them one step closer to their first-ever berth into an Olympic softball event. For Puerto Rico, it was a must-win game to keep their Olympic hopes alive.

In previous events, Puerto Rico had beaten Mexico twice in decisive games. First, in the gold medal game of the Barranquilla 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games by a score of 4-2; and then, three weeks before the Olympic Qualifier, in the first playoff game of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, 3-2, with a walk-off two-run homer by Karla Claudio in the bottom of the eighth. This win secured a medal for Puerto Rico and left Mexico with empty hands.

Mexican head coach Carlos Bernaldez handed the ball to pitcher Danielle O’Toole to face Taran Alvelo, who got the start for Puerto Rico in this crucial game.

The game will be available for free at www.youtube.com/wbsc at 9 pm Eastern US Standard Time* on Sunday, 17 May (3 am Central European Time*, 10 am Korea Time on Monday, 18 May) and Monday at 9 am US Eastern Standard Time* (3:00 pm Central European Time* and 10 pm Korea Time) at www.facebook.com/wbsc.

*Observing daylight saving time.

The next episode of the GameTime Classics series will be the game played by  Korea and Japan in the super round of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017.

Watch more GameTime Classics:

Episode 53: Watch superb USA-Korea pitching duel in WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017 Super Round
Episode 52: Australia, USA thrill at WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship
Episode 51: Korea, USA play in final of 2015 Premier12
Episode 50: Italy, Mexico clash at 2018 WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship
Episode 49: Chinese Taipei, Venezuela play for bronze at Women's Softball World Cup 2016 
Episode 48: Canada and Venezuela collide in the 2013 Men’s Softball World Championship playoffs
Episode 47: Mexico, Japan play for bronze in Premier12 2015
Episode 46: Cuba, Brazil face off in Super Round of Olympic Softball Qualifier
Episode 45: Mexico, Japan clash in Super Round of 2016 U-23 Baseball World Cup
Episode 44: Denmark v Venezuela in 2019 Men’s Softball World Championship
Episode 43: Japan-USA strikeout fest at U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017
Episode 42: Re-live WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup 2018 Canada v Japan semi-final
Episode 41: USA, Australia fight hard at 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup
Episode 40: Australia vs USA Women's Softball World Cup 2014 semifinal
Episode 39: Australia-Japan, Premier12 2019
Episode 38: Men's Softball World Championship 2013 semifinal between Australia and Venezuela
Episode 37: Australia, Chinese Taipei lock horns at 2016 WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup
Episode 36: Japan, USA clash in epic semi-final battle at 2018 WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship
Episode 35: Superpowers Japan, USA collide at WBSC Premier12 2019

Episode 34: Men's Softball World Championship 2004 semifinal Australia vs Canada
Episode 33: Mexico, Japan play for bronze at 2017 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup
Episode 32: Australia, Canada play for bronze at U-19 Women's Softball World Cup 2019
Episode 31: Women's Baseball World Cup 2018 bronze medal game
Episode 30: New Zealand, Venezuela compete in 2013 Men's Softball World Championship final
Episode 29: Mexico, Chinese Taipei put on slugfest in U-15 Baseball World Cup 2016 
Episode 28: Women’s Softball World Championship 2016 final Japan-USA
Episode 27: USA take on Chinese Taipei in must-win WBSC Premier12 2019 clash
Episode 26: Australia vs Argentina, a pitching duel at the Men’s Softball World Championship 2013
Episode 25: Watch Japan take on Mexico in a thrilling U-23 Baseball World Cup 2018 final
Episode 24: Watch Japan, Greece collide at the 2006 Women’s Softball World Championship
Episode 23: Watch the epic battle between USA and Mexico at the U-12 Baseball World Cup 2017
Episode 22: Canada, New Zealand clash at the Men's Softball World Cup 2004
Episode 21: Chinese Taipei v USA in the final of the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup
Episode 20: Australia vs China for a spot in the softball competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Episode 19: Korea, Cuba battle in early stages of Women's Baseball World Cup 2016
Episode 18: New Zealand, Australia thriller open Men's Softball World Cup 2013 playoffs
Episode 17: Japan, Panama fight hard in WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup super round
Episode 16: Great Britain vs Italy for an Olympic softball berth
Episode 15: Watch Australia vs USA in 2019 Premier12 thriller
Episode 14: Re-live the 2018 Junior Men’s Softball World Cup Final between Australia and Japan
Episode 13: Watch Korea vs Panama in 2016 U-23 Baseball World Cup
Episode 12: Mexico, Canada battle to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic softball competition
Episode 11: Watch a semifinal thriller - Canada-Chinese Taipei at the Women's Baseball World Cup 2016
Episode 10: Historic first-ever WBSC U-12 Mixed Softball final between Chinese Taipei and Peru
Episode 9: Watch Korea vs Japan in 2015 Premier12 Semi-Final
Episode 8: Singapore, Argentina open 2020 U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup with a bang
Episode 7: Watch Chinese Taipei and Japan battle in the 2018 Women's Baseball World Cup
Episode 6: JPN vs USA dramatic 2019 U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup final
Episode 5: Re-live Mexico v USA 2019 U-12 Baseball World Cup elimination game
Episode 4: Mexico-New Zealand epic battle at WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship 2019
Episode 2: Re-live the Japan-USA Final of the 2018 WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship
Watch for free: WBSC Baseball, Softball World Cup blockbuster
Australia, USA thrill at WBSC Men’s Softball World ChampionshipEpisode 53: Watch superb USA-Korea pitching duel in WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017 Super Round
Episode 52:
Episode 51: Korea, USA play in final of 2015 Premier12
Episode 50: Italy, Mexico clash at 2018 WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship
Episode 49: Chinese Taipei, Venezuela play for bronze at Women's Softball World Cup 2016 
Episode 48: Canada and Venezuela collide in the 2013 Men’s Softball World Championship playoffs
Episode 47: Mexico, Japan play for bronze in Premier12 2015
Episode 46: Cuba, Brazil face off in Super Round of Olympic Softball Qualifier
Episode 45: Mexico, Japan clash in Super Round of 2016 U-23 Baseball World Cup
Episode 44: Denmark v Venezuela in 2019 Men’s Softball World Championship
Episode 43: Japan-USA strikeout fest at U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017
Episode 42: Re-live WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup 2018 Canada v Japan semi-final
Episode 41: USA, Australia fight hard at 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup
Episode 40: Australia vs USA Women's Softball World Cup 2014 semifinal
Episode 39: Australia-Japan, Premier12 2019
Episode 38: Men's Softball World Championship 2013 semifinal between Australia and Venezuela
Episode 37: Australia, Chinese Taipei lock horns at 2016 WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup
Episode 36: Japan, USA clash in epic semi-final battle at 2018 WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship
Episode 35: Superpowers Japan, USA collide at WBSC Premier12 2019

Episode 34: Men's Softball World Championship 2004 semifinal Australia vs Canada
Episode 33: Mexico, Japan play for bronze at 2017 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup
Episode 32: Australia, Canada play for bronze at U-19 Women's Softball World Cup 2019
Episode 31: Women's Baseball World Cup 2018 bronze medal game
Episode 30: New Zealand, Venezuela compete in 2013 Men's Softball World Championship final
Episode 29: Mexico, Chinese Taipei put on slugfest in U-15 Baseball World Cup 2016 
Episode 28: Women’s Softball World Championship 2016 final Japan-USA
Episode 27: USA take on Chinese Taipei in must-win WBSC Premier12 2019 clash
Episode 26: Australia vs Argentina, a pitching duel at the Men’s Softball World Championship 2013
Episode 25: Watch Japan take on Mexico in a thrilling U-23 Baseball World Cup 2018 final
Episode 24: Watch Japan, Greece collide at the 2006 Women’s Softball World Championship
Episode 23: Watch the epic battle between USA and Mexico at the U-12 Baseball World Cup 2017
Episode 22: Canada, New Zealand clash at the Men's Softball World Cup 2004
Episode 21: Chinese Taipei v USA in the final of the 2019 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup
Episode 20: Australia vs China for a spot in the softball competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Episode 19: Korea, Cuba battle in early stages of Women's Baseball World Cup 2016
Episode 18: New Zealand, Australia thriller open Men's Softball World Cup 2013 playoffs
Episode 17: Japan, Panama fight hard in WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup super round
Episode 16: Great Britain vs Italy for an Olympic softball berth
Episode 15: Watch Australia vs USA in 2019 Premier12 thriller
Episode 14: Re-live the 2018 Junior Men’s Softball World Cup Final between Australia and Japan
Episode 13: Watch Korea vs Panama in 2016 U-23 Baseball World Cup
Episode 12: Mexico, Canada battle to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic softball competition
Episode 11: Watch a semifinal thriller - Canada-Chinese Taipei at the Women's Baseball World Cup 2016
Episode 10: Historic first-ever WBSC U-12 Mixed Softball final between Chinese Taipei and Peru
Episode 9: Watch Korea vs Japan in 2015 Premier12 Semi-Final
Episode 8: Singapore, Argentina open 2020 U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup with a bang
Episode 7: Watch Chinese Taipei and Japan battle in the 2018 Women's Baseball World Cup
Episode 6: JPN vs USA dramatic 2019 U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup final
Episode 5: Re-live Mexico v USA 2019 U-12 Baseball World Cup elimination game
Episode 4: Mexico-New Zealand epic battle at WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship 2019
Episode 2: Re-live the Japan-USA Final of the 2018 WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship
Watch for free: WBSC Baseball, Softball World Cup blockbuster