19/08/2024 8 Minute Read

WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup 2024 - Day 4: Puerto Rico, Japan, Colombia qualify for Super Round in Group A; Nicaragua, Chinese Taipei advance in Group B

After three days of play, the Super Round picture is taking shape, with some teams trying to secure their spot in the next round and others aiming to remain in contention ahead of Tuesday's Opening Round finale.

Five teams have secured their spots in the Super Round of the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup 2024 following Monday's results. Japan, Puerto Rico, and Colombia have advanced from Group A, while Nicaragua and Chinese Taipei qualified from Group B. The final team to join the next stage will be the winner of the Mexico vs. Venezuela game on Tuesday.

Puerto Rico qualified for the Super Round after winning their game against Italy, 11-4, in Barranquilla. Japan also booked their ticket to the Super Round with a 14-0 victory over Guam. Both teams are still undefeated and will close the Opening Round on Tuesday playing against each other, in a game that will count for the Super Round standings.

A pitching gem by Victor Gomez sent Colombia to the Super Round, lifting their team to a 2-1 win over Dominican Republic in the last game of the day. With this result, the host team secured third place in Group A and remain in contention for a medal in this tournament.

In Group B, Nicaragua downed Mexico, 7-1, in the last game of the day and is the only undefeated side in the pool. Chinese Taipei got an easy win against South Africa, 18-0, and improved their record to 3-1. Both Nicaragua and Chinese Taipei are qualified for the Super Round, and will play each other on Tuesday.

Venezuela secured a very important win on Monday morning defeating the Netherlands, 11-1, at 11 de Noviembre stadium in Cartagena. The Venezuelan squad hold now a 2-2 record and will face Mexico in the final day of the Opening Round. The winner of the game will move to Barranquilla to play the Super Round.

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Anthony Badillo and Joseph Mendez combined for seven hits, four RBIs and five runs scored to lead the Puerto Rican lineup in Monday's 11-4 win against Italy to open Day 4 of the World Cup. With the win, Puerto Rico secured their spot in the Super Round.

Badillo went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and two RBIs while Mendez delivered a 3-for-4 performance with two RBIs and one run scored. They had seven of the 12 Puerto Rican hits in the game.

Roldiel Maysonet was the winner of the game tossing three innings of two-hit ball, with one run scored and a pair of strikeouts.

With this score, Puerto Rico remain undefeated and qualified for the Super Round.

Venezuela won a key game to keep their hopes alive for the Super Round after defeating the Netherlands 11-1 in the first game of Day 4 at the 11 de Noviembre Stadium in Cartagena, Colombia.

Nerio Reyes pitched five innings, striking out seven batters to lead Venezuela from the mound, while Camilo Gutierrez and Andres Triana plated two runs each one to lead the Venezuelan offense.

Venezuela will face Mexico on the last day of the Opening Round, while the Netherlands will do the same against South Africa.

Japan booked their ticket to the Super Round with a 14-0 win against Guam, in five innings. Japanese pitcher Haruka Okubo pitched a no-hitter with six strikeouts against one walk.

Shortstop Ren Ota and Naru Fukui each collected four RBIs, while Shoki Hayashi added three, contributing significantly to Japan's run production.

With the win, Japan improve to 4-0 in the standings and will close the Opening Round against Puerto Rico on Tuesday, the other qualified team for the Super Round. The teams will carry the result of this game into the Super Round.

Chinese Taipei claimed a key win against South Africa that put the Asian team on the path to the Super Round.

Tzu-Chun Chuang pitched five innings, striking out nine opponents and accepting just one hit. On the offensive side, Shih-Cheng Lo plated four teammates.

Chinese Taipei will face Nicaragua on the last day of the Opening Round in a game with implications for the Super Round, while South Africa will close the Opening Round facing the Netherlands.

Colombia secured a historic win, defeating Dominican Republic, 2-1, and securing at the same time their place in the Super Round. Victor Gomez pitched a masterpiece for Colombia. He tossed 5.2 innings of one-hit ball, giving up one run and three walks against eight strikeouts. He reached the pitch limit and had to be replaced.

For the Dominican Republic, Justin Burgos also pitched extremely well. He worked 4.2 innings, giving up two hits, two runs and four walks, while striking out one. However, he was charged with the loss.

Colombia came from behind with two runs in the bottom of the third to win the game. A hit by pitch and a walk put two runners on with one out. They tied the game with a grounder to shortstop, and two pitches later, Santiago Blanco singled to right field to drive in Ander Elorriaga with the go-ahead run.

Ronny Herrera retired the last four outs of the game.

Nicaragua advanced to the Super Round after defeating Mexico 7-1 in the last game of Day 4 of the Opening Round at the 11 de Noviembre Stadium in Cartagena, Colombia.

A 3.1 inning relief by Kelvin Diaz was the key for Nicaragua to defeat Mexico, scoring three times in the third inning to take the lead and never look back.

Nicaragua will close the Opening Round facing Chinese Taipei to decide the top spot in Group B, while Mexico will do the same against Venezuela with the last spot for the Super Round on the line.

Key News

Nicaragua 7 - 1 Mexico - Boxscore

Top 7th - Nicaragua extend their lead to 7-1 with two runs on three hits. Berman Moreno and Johacner Gutierrez hit back to back singles, and scored the two runs: Moreno on a throwing error, and Gutierrez on a Ludell Espinoza single.

Top 6th - Nicaragua extend their lead to 5-1. A dropped fly ball allowed Johacner Gutierrez to cross the plate, and Ludell Espinoza drove in Junior Gomez with a sac fly. The game is now 5-1 for Nicaragua.

Bottom 4th - Luciano Colado puts Mexico on the scoreboard. An RBI single to left field drove in Alfredo Magaña with the first run of their team. Nicaragua now lead 3-1.

Top 3rd - Nicaragua take the lead. With two runners on, an RBI single by Jean Catin and a grounder by Eddy Coronado drove in the first two runs of the game. Catin then scored on a throwing error. Nicaragua lead 3-0.

Game 24 - 19:00, Once de Noviembre Stadium, Cartagena.
NCA - #26 - Evan Da Souza RHP
MEX - #4 - Alexander Ibarra RHP

Preview - Undefeated Nicaragua will take on Mexico in Cartagena de Indias at 7 pm. Nicaragua is the only leader in Group B holding a 3-0 record, while Mexico is one step behind with a 2-1 mark so this is an important game, not only for the final standings in the group, but because it could count for the Super Round too. They have played one game in the past, a 16-4 Mexico win on 24 August 2012, in the first edition of this tournament.

2024 U-15 Baseball World Cup - Game 22 TPE vs RSA

Dominican Republic 1 - 2 Colombia - Boxscore

Top 6th - Colombia's Victor Gomez pitched a masterpiece for Colombia. He pitched 5.2 innings of one-hit ball, giving up one run and three walks against eight strikeouts. He reached the pitch limit and had to be replaced.

Bottom 5th - Justin Burgos is replaced in the bottom of the fifth inning. He pitched 4.2 innings, giving up two hits, two runs and four walks, while striking out one.

Bottom 3rd - Colombia come from behind with two runs and go ahead in the game. A hit by pitch and a walk put two runners on with one out, and Colombia scored the first with a grounder to shortstop. Two pitches later, Santiago Blanco singled to right field to drive in Ander Elorriaga with the go-ahead run.

Top 1st - Three walks loaded the bases for Dominican Republic, and a grounder to shortstop by Gustavo Talmare scored the first run of the game. Dominican Republic leading 1-0.

Game 23 - 19:00, Edgar Renteria Stadium, Barranquilla.
DOM - #90 - Justin Burgos RHP
COL - #10 - Victor Gomez Lucumi RHP

Preview - To close the day in Barranquilla, Dominican Republic and Colombia will meet at 7 pm. The two teams arrive to the game with the same 1-2 record and this game could be critical in their hopes to be playing the Super Round. It's their first game in the history of the tournament.

Chinese Taipei 18 - 0 South Africa - Boxscore

Top 5th - Chinese Taipei score five times to take a 18-0 lead. Yao-Cheng Lo hit an two-RBI triple in the inning.

Top 4th - Shih-Cheng Lo doubled to drove in Jyun-Hao Wang and Yu-Chieh Hsu to extend the lead. Shih-Cheng Lo scored then on a grounder to make it 13-0.

Top 3rd - Chinese Taipei add three more on an RBI single by Li-Ya Yu, a grounder by Yu-Chia Ma, and a run-scoring double by Tzu-Chun Chuang. Chinese Taipei leading 10-0.

Top 1st - Chinese Taipei score seven runs on four hits and get a comfortable lead. An RBI triple by Cheng-Yu Shih ignited the big inning for the Asian champions. It's 7-0.

Game 22 - 15:00, Once de Noviembre Stadium, Cartagena.
TPE - #20 - Tzu-Chun Chuang RHP
RSA - #13 - Ethan Beaumont Thomas RHP

Preview - At 3 pm, Chinese Taipei will take on South Africa in Cartagena de Indias. It’s a last chance for South Africa, who have lost all three of their games in the tournament. For Chinese Taipei, it’s an opportunity to bounce back from yesterday’s loss to Mexico and begin securing their spot in the Super Round.

Guam 0 - 14 Japan - Boxscore

Bottom 4th - A bases clearing double by Ren Ota highlighted a five-run inning for Japan. The game is now 14-0.

Bottom 3rd - Japan add two in their third at bat. With the bases loaded, Ren Ota and Ryota Okada drove in the runs for the Japanese team.

Bottom 2nd - Shoki Hayashi drove in two with an RBI single to right field to make it 7-0.

Bottom 1st - Japan score five in the first inning. A bases loaded walk scored the first run of the game, while a hard hit line drive by Naru Fukui, misread by right fielder Matthew Elm, became an inside the park grand slam.

Game 21 - 15:00, Edgar Renteria Stadium, Barranquilla.
GUM - #9 - J'Saiah Cruz RHP
JPN - #99 - Haruka Okubo RHP

Preview - The second game in Barranquilla will feature two teams in very different situations in the tournament. Undefeated Japan will face Guam (0-3) at 3 pm, in a match that could be one-sided from the start. This will be their first encounter in a U-15 World Cup.

2024 U-15 Baseball World Cup - Game 21 GUM vs JPN

Venezuela 11 - 1 Netherlands - Boxscore

Top 7th - Venezuela extend the lead with RBI singles by Santiago Soto and Camilo Gutierrez. the game is now 11-1.

Bottom 6th - Netherlands score their first run of the game. With one out on the scoreboard, Davey-Jay Rijke doubled and then scored on a run-scoring single by Raishelnon Ogenia. The score is 9-1.

Top 6th - After two quick outs, Venezuela loaded the bases on a pair of singles by Jesus Chavez and Sebastian silva, and a walk. Chavez and Silva scored on a pair of wild pitches. The game sis now 9-0.

Top 5th - Venezuela break the game ope with a five-run rally. RBI knocks by Andres Triana (2) and Francisco Marquez (1). Venezuela is leading now 7-0.

Top 3rd - Venezuela extend their lead to 2-0. Richard Borthomierth tripled and four pitches later crossed the plate on sac fly by Camilo Gutierrez.

Top 1st - Francisco Marquez score the first run of the game for Venezuela. He singled to leadoff the inning, stole second base, and moved to third on a wild pitch. From there, he scored on a grounder to short stop by Richard Borthomierth. Venezuela leading 1-0.

Game 20 - 10:30, Once de Noviembre Stadium, Cartagena.
VEN - #7 - Nerio Reyes LHP
NED - #35 - Jayden Elizabeth RHP

Preview - At 11 de Noviembre stadium, Netherlands and Venezuela will play a huge game in Group B. With both teams holding a 1-2 record, the winner of this game will put themselves in a great spot in the hunt for a top-three spot in the final standings of the group. They've never played in the U-15 age bracket. First pitch at 10:30.

2024 U-15 Baseball World Cup - Game 20 VEN vs NED

Italy 4 - 11 Puerto Rico - Boxscore

Bottom 5th - Puerto Rico send 11 batters in the inning, using five hits and four walks to score five runs. Puerto Rico has now a comfortable 11-4 lead. Puerto Rico has scored at least a run in each of their five at bats.

Bottom 4th - An RBI single by Arnaldo Rodriguez give Puerto Rico a two-run lead again. Anthony Badillo, who was hit by a pitch, scored the run for the Caribbean squad. The game is now 6-4.

Top 4th - Italy answer bak with a run on a double into the left center field gap by Patrick Silva to plate Pablo Suarez. The game is now 5-4.

Bottom 3rd - An RBI triple to right field by Saul Maldonado scored Jesus Carrasquillo from first base. Puerto Rico leading now 5-3.

Top 3rd - Italy make it a one-run ballgame. After two quick outs, Michael Moronta and Ivan Larice hit back to back singles, and Leonardo Prizzon walked to load the bases. Francesco Carlini hit a clutch two-run single to center field to make it 4-3. Italy is outhitting Puerto Rico 6-3.

Bottom 2nd - With two outs on the scoreboard, Puerto Rico extend their lead. Bradley Rodriguez worked a full-count walk and then Anthony Badillo rocketed a line drive triple into the right field corner to make him score. Badillo crossed the plate on a single by Joseph Mendez. Puerto Rico is now leading 4-1.

Bottom 1st - Bradley Rodriguez drew a one-out walk, and went from first to home on a run scoring double by Anthony Badillo into the left center gap. Badillo then scored on a first-and-third stolen base situation. Puerto Rico takes a 2-1 lead.

Top 1st - Italy take the lead in their first at bat. The European team loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk, and scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to right field by Alessio Casanta. Italy leading 1-0.

Game 19 - 10:30, Edgar Renteria Stadium, Barranquilla.
ITA - #17 - Giacomo Tesio RHP
PUR - #59 - Darell Sanchez RHP

Preview - In the first game of the day at Edgar Renteria Stadium, Puerto Rico and Italy will face off with different goals. Puerto Rico has played some of the best baseball in the tournament, remaining with perfect record in Group A. After claiming their first win yesterday, Italy (1-2) need a victory to keep themselves in the conversation for one spot in the next round. This will be their first game in the history of the competition. Starting time at 10:30 am local time.