Seoul (Korea). If people are talking about favorites at the XXV IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship, the teams from the United States, host Korea and fellow baseball powerhouse Japan were named among the first. At the start of the second round on Wednesday, they all lost. It was already obvious that this tournament features a high competitiveness, also indicated by the fact that all six advancing teams begin the second round with 1-1 records.
Canada, Chinese Taipei and Colombia kicked off the medal phase with statement wins. In the afternoon Colombia got to Koshien star Shintaro Fujinami and got good pitching by them to stun Japan with a 3-0 shutout. At the same time defending champion Chinese Taipei upset Korea in ten innings after blowing a one-run lead with two outs in the ninth. The string of exciting games extended throughout the evening, where Canada prevailed in a ten-inning pitcher’s duel against the United States.
Earlier in the day USA had defeated Australia and Canada dispatched Panama to conclude the first round of the tournament. Because of the two results the Maple Leafs and Colombia advanced to the medal round. Additionally the classification games started in the evening, as the Netherlands got their first win to finish in 11th place, right ahead of the Czech Republic.
First Round
Group A
USA 6 – Australia 2
The United States concluded the first round on Wednesday morning with a 6-2 victory over Australia. Playing in sunny conditions at Jamsil Stadium a strong start by Ryan Olson (8 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 7 SO) and timely hits between the fifth and eighth inning laid the foundation for the win. Reese McGuire had three hits and two RBI.
Final Standing
1) USA 4-1
2) Korea 3-1
3) Colombia 3-2
4) Venezuela 2-3
5) Australia 2-3
6) Netherlands 0-4
Group B
Panama 1 – Canada 10
Panama had been for sure one of the surprises at the XXV IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship in Seoul, but could not surprise Canada in the in-or-out game on Wednesday morning at Mokdong Stadium. The North-Americans took an immediate lead scoring twice in the first inning and cruised easy through the game until the final 10-1 that granted them access to the medal-awarding second round.
Final Standing
1) Canada 4-1
2) Japan 4-1
3) Chinese Taipei 3-1
4) Panama 2-3
5) Italy 1-3
6) Czech Republic 0-5
Second Round
Korea 3 – Chinese Taipei 7
Defending champion Chinese Taipei made a statement at the start of the second round, defeating Korea with 7-3 in ten innings at Jamsil Stadium on Wednesday evening. The host had just tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. But Chinese Taipei used three hits in the top of the tenth to plate four runs with the IBAF Extra Inning Rule in effect to win the game.
Japan 0 – Colombia 3
Astonishing Colombia got outstanding pitching from Roger Velez and José Cruz to defeat Japan 3-0 in the first game of the medal round at the 18U Baseball World Championship in Mokdong Stadium. Velez and Cruz kept Team Nippon scoreless despite giving up six hits and six walks combined. At the plate Yair Morelos, Fernando Llames and Alvaro Noriega scored three runs against the hard-throwing Shintaro Fujinamo, who was beaten for the first time after a string of three straight two-hit complete game shutouts at Koshien and this tournament.
USA 0 – Canada 1
Canada has won the duel of neighbors at the beginning of the second round at the XXV IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship. They prevailed 1-0 in ten innings in a classic pitcher’s duel against the United States. Nathan Desouza drove in the game-winning run in the top of the tenth inning. Team USA couldn’t counter in the bottom half of the frame and lost the game. Ryan Kellogg threw 8 2/3 scoreless two-hit innings in a no-decision.
Standings
1) Canada 2-1
1) Chinese Taipei 2-1
1) Colombia 2-1
4) Japan
4) Korea
4) USA 1-2
(Teams tied in standings are ranked according to alphabetical order)
Game for 11th Place
Czech Republic 4 – Netherlands 7
The Netherlands are finishing in 11th place in the final standings of the XXV IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship. They defeated the Czech Republic 7-4 in the first classification game of the tournament on Wednesday evening at Mokdong Stadium. The Dutch team took the lead with a three-run fourth and backed it up with two runs in the eighth, just moments after the Czech Republic had made it a one-run game.
