by International Baseball Federation, www.ibaf.org
Super Round Robin
(1st to 6th)
Chinese Taipei 3 – Venezuela 5
BOX SCORE
Venezuela reached the game for third place at the II 15U Baseball World Cup with a 5-3 win over Chinese Taipei. Both teams will meet again in the Bronze Medal Match on Sunday with Venezuela having home field advantage. The defending champion scored all five runs in the first four innings en route to the victory. CT answered with three in the fourth, but Harvin Mendoza and Angel Ortega kept the Asian team hitless through the last 5 1/3 innings to deny a comeback.
Cuba 2 – Panama 1
Cuba booked a return to the final with a 2-1 nail-biter over Panama. It was a pitcher’s duel, which was decided after two innings. Panama had taken a 1-0 lead in the first and Cuba countered with two runs in the second to get in front. This was all for Angel Diaz and Adrian Morejon, who conceded just one run on six hits in nine otherwise dominant innings.
USA 10 – Mexico 9
The United States won a thriller 10-9 over Mexico in ten innings, remaining undefeated in the tournament and reaching the Gold Medal Game. An extra inning was needed, which Team USA won 4-3 to secure the victory. Kristofer Armstrong had the game-winner with a two-run walk-off single. They had tied the contest on a sac fly in the ninth. Mexico had taken a 6-5 lead with a four-run eighth.
(7th to 12th)
Australia 5 – Germany 6
Germany secured tenth place in the final standings with a 6-5 win over Australia. David Dinski and Florian Seidel, who finished the tourney with an ERA of 0.00 in 13 2/3 frames, kept the Aussies bats to five runs. The team from Down Under finished the 15U Baseball World Cup in ninth.
Japan 4 – Italy 0
Japan kept its unbeaten record in the second round with a 4-0 shutout over Italy. Team Nippon will end the event in seventh place, while Italy has to settle for 12th. A four-run fourth decided the outcome. Ryoma Akie, Katsuhiro Kobayashi, Koki Chikamoto and Keito Takeuchi kept Italy to four hits in seven scoreless innings.
Brazil 8 – Argentina 3
BOX SCORE
In an all-South American duel Brazil had the upper hand over Argentina 8-3. Brazil scored all eight runs in the bottom of the fifth en route to the victory. Vitor Nakamura and Igor Santos combined to throw seven strong innings to lay the groundwork on the mound.
(13th to 18th)
Hong Kong 0 – South Africa 10
BOX SCORE
South Africa pounded out ten runs on 16 hits in a 10-0 shutout over Hong Kong to conclude the II 15U Baseball World Cup with their second win. Four runs in the fifth blew the score open. Keagan Lazarus, Dylan Le Roux and Na’Eem Dollie conceded only five hits in the game.
New Zealand 1 – Guatemala 12
Guatemala improved to 4-1 in Group F after a 12-1 blowout over New Zealand. The Central Americans put five runs on the board in the third and three each in the fifth and sixth to run away with the victory.
Czech Republic 10 – Lithuania 5
In an European duel the Czech Republic downed Lithuania 10-5, finishing Pool F play with a 5-0 record to secure 13th place in the final standings. Lithuania has to settle for 18th. The Czech team scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth to erase an early 0-4 deficit.