07/09/2024 5 Minute Read

Australia, Korea and Nicaragua stay undefeated after Day 2 at the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024

The Aussies won a nine-inning drama against Puerto Rico, Nicaragua beat Venezuela and Korea defeated South Africa. The Netherlands enjoyed a remarkable win against Chinese Taipei. Japan and Colombia also celebrated first wins.

Three teams - Australia, Korea and Nicaragua - remain undefeated after Day 2 of the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024 at the Shaoxing Baseball & Softball Sports Centre in China on Saturday.

World No. 15 Australia defeated No. 10 Puerto Rico after a nine-inning drama and is in sole possession of Group A's first place.

No. 6 Korea beat No. 31 South Africa to sit tied in first place in Group B with No. 17 Nicaragua, who won a thriller with No. 5 Venezuela.

No. 7 Netherlands had a remarkable night, earning their first win against No. 3 Chinese Taipei after a marathon.

Chinese Taipei is surprisingly winless in Group B along with No. 31 South Africa. No. 18 Great Britain remains the only winless team in Group A.

Tournament Links

Netherlands-Chinese Taipei 7-5

Chinese Taipei needed three pitchers to get out of the first inning and the Netherlands could bulld a lead they wouldn't surrender and protected it using five pitchers. Jelie Van der Lelie got the final four outs.

Chinese Taipei chose Li-Chen Wu as the starting pitcher, while the Netherlands handed the ball to Dylan Farley.

The Netherlands didn't waste time and got to Wu with back-to-back doubles by Jackey Josepha and Donovan Antonia to take the lead and send Wu to the showers.

Reliever Jun-Wei Zhang walked the bases loaded with one out, got the second out on strikes and allowed back-to-back singles to Marvin Jacobus and Gedionne Marlin. He left with the Netherlands leading 4-0. Left-hander Pin Hong Chen got the third out on strikes.

Chinese Taipei got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Chia-Wei Lin homered on the fourth pitch he saw.

Chinese Taipei had the next scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fourth but couldn't score despite putting runners at the corners with no one out and loading the bases with two outs. Farley put himself in trouble but struck out the side to get out of the jam.

The Netherlands opened the score with three runs in the top of the fifth. Chen left for Yu-Ting Lu with runners at third, second, and one out. He allowed a run on a wild pitch, then struck out Piternella to record the second out. The Netherlands got to him with a single by Jair Von Borkulo and a double by Tilsamy Melfor to extend the lead to 7-1.

Chinese Taipei tried their way back into the game in the bottom half of the frame against relievers Rick Rizvic and Justin Morales. They scored on a sacrifice fly by Chia-Wei Lin and a groundout but also stranded two runners.

Chinese Taipei made it a two-run game in the bottom of the sixth on sacrifice flies by Chun-Wei Liu and Jun-Wei Zheng. Jelie Van der Lelie, the fifth Dutch pitcher, struck out Nian-Hao Wang to end the inning with the potential tying runs in scoring position.

Van der Lelie closed the game facing only three batters in the bottom of the seventh.

GAME REPORT

Australia-Puerto Rico 5-4

Australia defeated Puerto Rico in nine innings to earn the first win in the U-23 Baseball World Cup. The Boricua came within two outs of the win. The two teams used 11 pitches.

Alistair Tanner took the mound for Australia. Omar Melendez started for Puerto Rico.

Tanner allowed a two-out walk in the first, and Puerto Rico took full advantage of it with an RBI double by John Montes.

Melendez was wild, and his game was short. Alexander Skepton's RBI single sent him to the showers. Reliever Alejandro Gonzalez got Jo Stevens to ground into a double play but couldn't avoid the Australian go-ahead run.

Tanner also left in the bottom of the second after a walk, a hit batter and an RBI single by Randal Diaz that tied the game at two. William Sheriff took the mound for Australia.

John Montes gave Puerto Rico the lead in the top of the fifth when he homered off Stuart Tharle, the third Australian pitcher.

Australia sent the game to extra innings against reliever Alex Vega thanks to a two-out RBI single by Jo Stevens in the bottom of the seventh.

Both teams scored one run in the eighth, and Australia won in the bottom of the ninth. Vega hit Jaylin Rae to lead off the at-bat, advancing the tie-break runners to third and second. Bailey-Jay Cooke scored the winning run from third on Chris Burke's sacrifice fly.

GAME REPORT

Japan-China 2-0

Japan defeated China in front of a full house at the end of an old-fashioned pitching duel. Left-handed Kosei Nagakubo was perfect through five innings and went the distance allowing only one hit.

Kosei Nagakubo took the mound for Japan, while China handed the ball to Jian Yi. Japan and China play in front of a full house.

Japan took the lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a two-out RBI single by right-fielder Takankori Takahashi.

Left-hander Wei Zhao took over for Yi in the bottom of the third and struck out the side to begin his effort.

Solid defence kept China in the game also in the fourth inning.

Third baseman Aiqi Zhang led off the sixth with a single through the right side. It was the first hit allowed by Nagakubo.

Japan scored their second run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out single by third baseman Takanori Takahashi.

GAME REPORT

Colombia-Great Britain 6-4

Colombia came from behind to beat Great Britain and celebrate the first win in the U-23 Baseball World Cup. Colombia thrived on walks in a five-run fourth-inning rally.

Manuel Rumbos started for Colombia, while Great Brtain chose Colin Lebel.

Great Britain scored the go-ahead run in the top of the second. Rumbos loaded the bases by hitting a batter and walking two. Reliever Kevin Gomez retired the side in order, but the first out produced a sacrifice fly by Matthew Ward.

Wallace Clark led off the third with a double and scored on a two-out single by Tucker Stockman, giving Great Britain a 2-0 lead.

Colombia got the first hit of their game in the bottom half of the frame. Andres Murillo doubled to score Nolan Beltran from second.

In the top of the fourth Ward hit his second sacrifice fly of the day, scoring Jacob Lambdin and extending Great Britain's lead to 3-1.

Colombia reversed the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Guillermo Quintana led off with a double and scored on a single by Andrey Martinez.

Lebel and his reliever Jacob Lambdin allowed four runs on five walks and Colombia extended the lead to 6-3. Cameron Moore came out of the bullpen and took care of the third out.

Clark gave Great Britain their fourth run with an RBI single in the top of the sixth.

GAME REPORT

Nicaragua-Venezuela 3-2

Junior Ortega and Godwin Bennett had a two-hit game and the defence supported starter Angel Canales with two double plays early in the game as Nicaragua beat Venezuela to stay undefeated.

Angel Canales started for Nicaragua and Venezuela handed the ball to Brayan Medina.

Venezuela missed a bases-loaded opportunity in the top of the first when Pedro Martinez grounded in an inning ending double play.

Nicaragua took the lead in the bottom of the second on two-out base hits by Godwin Bennett (double) and Roger Leyton (single).

Nicaragua executed their second double-play of the day in the top of the third.

Despite that, Venezuela scored, taking advantage of back-to-back two-out walks. Cesar Idrogo provided the RBI single.

In the bottom half of the frame, Nicaragua re-established the gap thanks to Junior Ortega. The leadoff hitter reached on a drag bunt, stole second, advanced to third on the error on the play and scored on a groundout.

Jared Albir took the mound for Nicaragua in the top of the sixth.

Venezuela made it a one-run game in the top of the seventh, when pinch runner Moises Paiva scored on a two-out single by Luis Hernandez.

Nicaragua called Bryan Torres from the bullpen to get the final out. The closer retired Luis Castillo on a grounder to second base and earned the save.

GAME REPORT

Korea-South Africa 6-1

The pitching staff dominated as Korea beat South Africa to earn their second win.

Bryce McCleland started for South Africa and Wonpyo Hond took the mound for Korea.

After two scoreless innings, Korea opened the score in the top of the third scoring five runs on base hits by designated hitter Donghyun Kim and catcher Siang Kim and a two-RBI double by first baseman Daeseon Jeong. South Africa called Keenan Campbell from the bullpen to get out of the at-bat.

Korea added a run in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Daeseon Jeong.

Wonpyo Hong left after three innings, allowing only one hit.

Reliever Jiheon Han pitched an immaculate bottom of the fifth, striking out Kevin Costigan, Ethan Grobler and Sylvester Maredi on nine consecutive strikes.

South Africa's second hit was an RBI double by shortstop Luke November in the bottom of the seventh.

GAME REPORT