Australia win slugfest with Great Britain, improve to 3-1 record

World No. 15 Australia defeated No. 18 Great Britain, 13-12, in a slugfest on Monday. The two teams combined 22 hits, and Great Britain was resilient enough to stay in the game despite falling 5-0 after two innings. Australia improved to 3-1 and will finish Day 4 of the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024, tied on top of Group A.

Great Britain's starter Luke 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 opened the score in the bottom of the second. With runners at the corners and two outs, left fielder Chris Burke looked at a strike, then drove the second offering beyond the right field wall for a three-run homer. Burke was part of the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2022 All-World Team.

The fourth run scored on back-to-back doubles by Alexander Skepton and Blake Cavill.

Great Britin made it a one-run game in the top of the third. Aussie starter Zakery Elvy hit the first batter. The second reached on an error and Michael Flaherty bunted for the hit to load the bases.

Left fielder Charlie Collins looked at two balls, then delivered a two-RBI double to left field. Tucker Stockman followed with an RBI single. The fourth run scored when Max Viera grounded into a double play. Maddux Stivey took the mound to take the inning to an end.

Corcoran left with a runner at first in the bottom of the third. Reliever Cameron Moore loaded the bases walking a batter and hitting another. One run scored on a fielding error. Moore walked in another and a passed ball made it an 8-4 game.

Burke followed with a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch extended Australia's lead to 10-4.

Great Britain wouldn't give up. They got to Stivey in the top of the fourth, thriving on a pair of walks with a two-RBI double by Wallace Clark and adding RBI singles with Tucker Stockman and James Quinn. Joshua Beezley took care of the final out.

The 10-8 score didn't last long. Australia added three runs in the bottom half of the frame on RBI singles by Solomon Maguire and Chris Burke and a wild pitch.

The top of the fifth was the third consecutive four-run British at-bat. Michael Flaherty contributed with an RBI single, James Quinn-Irrons added a two-RBI single and another run scored on a walk.

The Sturm und Drang ended here. Beezley found a way to mute the British line up and Aidan Bray and Edward Taylor combined three scoreless innings for Great Britain.

Australia (3-1) will finish the Opening Round facing No. 24 China (2-2) in a game that may prove vital for both teams. Great Britain (0-4) will play No. 1 Japan and then head to the Placement Round.