14/09/2024 2 Minute Read

WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup - Placement Round Day 3: Netherlands beat Colombia and finish seventh, Chinese Taipei eighth despite loss against Great Britain

It's the best result ever for the Dutch. Australia beat South Africa in the other morning game. Great Britain defeated Chinese Taipei, the highest-ranked programme they ever overcame in international baseball.

World No. 7 Netherlands won their third and final game of the Placement Round in Shaoxing, China on Saturday, defeating Colombia and clinching first place or No. 7 overall in the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024, their best result ever.

In the other morning game No. 15 Australia overcame No. 31 South Africa.

No. 18 Great Britain defeated No. 3 Chinese Taipei in a one-run game. Chinese Taipei will finish eighth. Great Britain reached another milestone since Chinese Taipei is the highest-ranked programme they overcame.

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Great Britain-Chinese Taipei 2-1

World No. 18 Great Britain won a pitching duel, defeating No. 3 Chinese Taipei, 2-1, the programme ranked the highest they ever overcame in international baseball.

Oliver Duthies earned the win, going five innings and allowing only three hits and two walks while striking out two. Samuel Hutchinson took over in the bottom of the sixth and earned the save.

Chinese Taipei brought the potential winning run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Bo-Rui Huang reached on a one-out double and scored on pinch hitter Shun-Ho Wang's two-out RBI single. Hutchinson retired Jun-Wei Zheng on a pop to shortstop to end the game.

Great Britain combined six hits against two Chinese Taipei pitchers. They scored their first run in the top of the second. James Quinn-Irons, Max Viera and Rayondre Mercer singled off Jun-Wei Zhang to load the bases. The run scored on a catcher's interference with Benjamin Leid at bat.

Aidan Kane led off the top of the fourth with a double off reliever Pin-Hong Chen, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a throwing error.

Netherlands- Colombia 7-3

The Netherlands took an early lead, thriving on Santiago Blanco's wild start, and protected it with four pitchers. They beat Colombia, 7-3, and clinched seventh place, their best result ever.

Colombia made the most of the game's only error and scored the go-ahead run on two consecutive flyouts against Justin Morales in the top of the first.

Blanco hit the first two batters he faced. Gedionne Marlins loaded the bases with a single, and the first run scored on a wild pitch. Darryl Collins made it 3-1 with a two-out and two-RBI single.

The Dutch broke the score open to 5-2 when Raydley Legito homered with one out a runner on in the bottom of the second.

Morales left after allowing Colombia their second run in the top of the second. Edvin Irausqin pitched two innings, allowing one run on four hits.

Pim Vijvinkel and Jelie Van der Lelie combined 3.1 scoreless innings. Vijvinkel earned the win.

Australia-South Africa 9-2

Australia scored all the runs they needed in the bottom of the second, then broke the score open with a six-run third inning rally on the way to a 9-2 against South Africa, improving their Placement Round record to 3-2.

Down 1-0, Australia got to South African starter Robert White with a three-run bottom of the second. They thrived on a walk and a hit batter and scored on a two-RBI single by Solomon Maguire and a double steal.

Three runs were all they needed to win, but Australia broke the score open with a six-run third at-bat against White and his reliever Bryce McCleland, who allowed Maguire a two-run homer.

Zakary Elvy got the first four outs. He didn't allow a hit but was responsible for the first run, scored by a runner he had walked. Dylan Clarke took over for him in the top of the second. He earned the win, pitching 1.2 innings and allowing South Africa their second and final run. Conor Myles and Lachlan Brook took care of the other four innings, keeping South Africa scoreless.