New Zealand 14-3 Mexico: Wildbore’s four runs lift New Zealand past Mexico for second victory

New Zealand 14-3 Mexico: Wildbore’s four runs lift New Zealand past Mexico for second victory
24/02/2020
New Zealand, who lost to Japan before beating USA now have a 2:1 win:loss record while Mexico are also 2:1 after beating USA and Denmark in their opening games.

Four runs from Harrison Wildbore and three from Jonathan Little took hosts New Zealand to a convincing 14-3 win over previously unbeaten Mexico to improve their win:loss record to 2:1 at the end of Day 3 of the U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup in Palmerston North.

They were the first runs of the tournament from Wildbore to propel him to second in the overall table of tournament runs, one behind a pack of six players with five, including teammate Te Kirika Cooper-Nicola.

World No. 3 New Zealand, who lost to world No. 1 Japan on the first day, got on the board early on with batter Dylan Jackson making a sacrifice hit allow consecutive runs from Cooper-Nikola and Little. Caleb Taylor managed a RBI single to centre field to score Dallas Clifton, before Traye Wildbore hit a sacrifice fly for his brother to score the first of his four runs to put the hosts in front 4-0 at the end top of the first.

Mexico's top scorer Eloy Flores scored his fourth of the tournament and Aberlardo Penuelas also got home off Jesus Rivera’s bat to make it a two-run game before Rivera scored himself after catcher Jacob Davidson overthrew from behind the plate to second base to make it 4-3.

Little scored once more for New Zealand off a wild pitch from Fernando Lopez to close the second innings at 5-3 before New Zealand doubled up on Mexico in the third after Harrison Wildbore scored again off yet another wild pitch for the Kiwis to go up 6-3.

New Zealand hit their straps in the 4th when Harrison Wildbore doubled after hitting over Jordan Solorio in centre field to score Little and Jackson before Traye Wildbore batted in brother Harrison and Taylor. Following a pitching change, an illegal pitch from Marco Diaz saw Traye Wildbore walked home to stretch the lead to 11-3.

Cooper Nicola completed another run in the fifth off a ground-out from Little before Mataira scored with Harrison Wildbore at bat, who then scored after a Taylor single to close out the match 14-3.

Jackson claimed three strikeouts in five innings (3 H, 0 R) while Lopez pitched 3.2 innings (7 H, 11 R, 6 SO) before being replaced by Diaz.