09/09/2024 5 Minute Read

Nicaragua the only team undefeated after WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024 Day 4

Nicaragua has earned a spot in the Super Round but will need to beat Korea on Day 5 to finish in first place and start with a clean record. Korea and Venezuela have qualified for the Super Round as well. In Group A, Japan and Puerto Rico are in excellent positions. Australia v China is the game to watch on Day 5.

World No. 17 Nicaragua is the only undefeated team after Day 4 of the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024. They earned their pass to the Super Round through a win against No. 7 Netherlands but still have to earn first place in the final game against No. 6 Korea.

No. 5 Venezuela is also in an excellent position to earn a top spot out of Group B with Chinse Taipei their next opponents. A three-way tie for first place cannot be counted out. The Netherlands will play No. 31 South Africa.

No. 1 Japan is in the best position in Group A. They will face No. 18 Great Britain, who have yet to claim a win, and can look to the fifth day of group play with some optimism. No. 10 Puerto Rico is also in an excellent position and will play No. 11 Colombia, who are already confirmed for the Placement Round. No. 15 Australia and No. 24 China will play what could prove to be a deciding game for the Super Round spots.

Tournament Links

Japan-Colombia 7-1

World No. 1 Japan earned their third consecutive win, defeating No. 11 Colombia. The game was close until the bottom of the sixth when the U-23 Samurai opened the score with a rally capped by Shinnosuke Nishimura's three-run home run.

Kento Matsuda started for Japan. Colombia chose Santiago Blanco.

Colombia scored the go-ahead run in the top of the third. Dario Borrero doubled, advanced on an infield single and scored on Carlos Arroyo's RBI single.

Kaito Yoshikava doubled on the first pitch he saw to lead off the bottom of the third and advanced to third on a wild pitch. He scored the tying run on Shinnosuke Nishimura's sacrifice fly.

Kosuke Sasamori took the mound for Japan in the top of the fifth.

Japan took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Colombia relieved Blanco with left-hander David Burgos. Yusuke Taura and Shinnosuke Nishimura got to him with back-to-back one-out triples putting Japan ahead 2-1. Colombia handed the ball to Carlos Meza to get the final out of the inning.

A brilliant play by centre fielder Shinnosuke Nishimura protected Japan's lead in the top of the sixth.

Nishimura capped a five-run sixth Japanese at-bat with a three-run moonshot home run.

Wataru Matsuda took care of the final three outs for Japan.

GAME REPORT

Chinese Taipei-South Africa 11-0

World No. 3 Chinese Taipei needed only five at-bats to end the game against South Africa by the run-differfence rule and record their first win.

South Africa picked Kyle Schwartz as their starter. Chinese Taipei responded with Jun-Wei Zhang.

Chun-Wei Liu homered on the first pitch of the game.

Chinese Taipei added two runs in the top of the first on a double by Nian-Hao Wang and a two-out single by Yu-Ching Tseng.

They opened the score with a four-run top of the third. Reliever Jamie Brookes allowed four consecutive two-out walks, and Hsin Chu added a three-RBI triple to centre field.

Tyron Brickhill took the mound for South Africa in the top of the fourth. Chinese Taipei added four runs on two hits and four walks, extending the lead to 11-0.

GAME REPORT

Nicaragua-Netherlands 1-0

Nicaragua won an exciting pitching duel against the Netherlands to stay undefeated and advance to the Super Round.

Justin Morales started for the Netherlands. Nicaragua chose Samuel Guadamuz.

Nicaragua couldn't turn into a run a runner at second and no outs in the first. Junior Ortega singled to leadoff the game, atole second, but Morales retired the side in order to end the at-bat.

The Netherlands left two runners on base in the third and fourth innings. In the fourth, Guadamuz struck out Donovan Antonia with runners at second and first and one out after an eight-pitch duel.

Guadamuz walked Jair Van Borkulo with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and left for right-hander Albir Rueda, who needed two pitches to get out of the inning.

Nicaragua won it in the top of the seventh. Morales walked Godwin Bennett on four pitches, then balked him to second, giving Nicaragua the first runner in scoring position since the first inning. Bennett stole third and scored the go-ahead run on a single up the middle by left fielder Edmerson Castro, the second hit of the day for the Nicas.

Rueda retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to save the win for Guadamuz.

GAME REPORT

Australia-Great Britain 13-12

Australia won against Great Britain after a combined 25 runs on 22 hits.

Zakery Elvy took the mound for Australia. Great Britain gave the ball to Luke Corcoran.

Corcoran hit three of the first four batters he faced and struck out the other. Australia scored the go-ahead run on a groundout.

Australia used five hits, including a three-run homer by U-23 Baseball World Cup veteran Chris Burke, to score four runs in the bottom of the second and extend their lead to 5-0.

Great Britain made it a one-run game in the top of the third. Left fielder Charlie Collins delivered a two-RBI double to left field and Tucker Stockman followed with an RBI single. The fourth run scored when Max Viera grounded into a double play.

Australia struck right back and opened the score to 10-4. Corcoran left with a runner at first in the bottom of the third. Reliever Cameron Moore's wild approach to the game, a defensive error and Clarke's sacrifice fly provided the runs.

Great Britain added two more four-run at-bats in the fourth and the fifth before Aussie reliever Joshua Beezley found a way to mute their bats.

The three runs Australia added in the bottom of the fourth on RBI singles by Solomon Maguire and Chris Burke and a wild pitch proved the difference at the end of the game.

GAME REPORT

Puerto Rico-China 8-4

Puerto Rico took an early lead and would not surrender, but a brave China made it a close game until Puerto Rico opened the score with a three-run sixth at bat.

Puerto Rico chose Luis Rivera to start the game, while Shulong Ding took the mound for China.

Ding walked two batters, hit a third and left for Jie Zhou. Puerto Rico got to the right-hander with base hits by Luis Gonzalez and Gilberto Torres for a quick 3-0 lead.

Puerto Rico added a run in the bottom of the second on another RBI single by Luis Gonzalez.

Tyanhuan Hu doubled with runners at second and first to put China on the scoreboard in the top of the third.

China cut the lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth. Rivera left for Alejandro Gonzalez with the bases loaded and no outs. He allowed a one-out RBI single to Mingxin Zhang before getting out of the ending on a double play.

Puerto Rico made it again a three-run game in the bottom half of the inning. Huenchen Fu, the third Chinese pitcher, left with runners at third and second. He allowed the fifth run on another RBI single by Luis Gonzalez, then got out of the inning on a double play.

China added a run and stranded the potential go-ahead ones in the top of the fifth. Alejandro Gonzalez left with runners at third and second. Reliever Ramon Rodriguez threw only seven pitches, allowing base hits to Yi Zhou and Aiqi Zhang and a run. He left with the bases loaded.

Lucas Vega got the second out on strikes and got some help from shortstop Randal Diaz, who got beyond the second base bag to stop a grounder by Wentao Zhang and get the third out at first.

China made it a one run game in the top of the sixth. Xudong Zhu bunted for the hit with two outs, stole second and scored on Wenbin Xing's single.

Puerto Rico stroke right back with a three-run rally to open the score to 8-4. Randal Diaz doubled with a runner on, Edrick Felix followed with a two-RBI triple and Luis Gonzalez contributed with a sacrifice fly, his fourth RBI of the day.

GAME REPORT

Venezuela-Korea 8-4

Three Venezuelan pitchers limited Korea to four hits. Venezuela became the first team to beat Korea and tied them at 3-1 on top of Group B.

Taehyun Kim got the ball for Korea, while Venezuela started Miguel Olivares

Olivares got some early help from his defence.

Korea took the lead in the bottom of the second, manufacturing the run with a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly after Donghyun Kim's leadoff double.

Venezuela rallied in the top of the fourth to take control of the game. Pedro Martinez and Gilbert Medina reached on back-to-back singles. With the runners at the corners, Dobeen Kim allowed the tying run on a wild pitch. He left for Juhwan Son after allowing a walk.

The third Korean pitcher couldn't stop Venezuela. The runners advanced on sacrifice bunt and scored on a passed ball and Lewis Castillo's RBI single. Castillo scored on Brainer Bonaci's double to make it 5-1. Korea handed the ball to Baeksam Kim to end the at-bat.

Gilbert Medina extended Venezuela's lead to 6-1 with a one-out RBI single in the top of the fifth.

Korea cut the gap to 6-3 in the bottom of the fifth on a two-RBI single by Hyunjong Kim off Adrian Luna, the third Venezuelan pitcher and made it 6-4, scoring on a passed ball and a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth.

Venezuela opened the score with a two-RBI single by Lewis Castillo in the top of the seventh.