U-23 Baseball World Cup: Japan-Puerto Rico will play for Title, China and Nicaragua will contend Bronze Medal
The WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024 on Shaoxing, China has its final verdict. Japan beat Korea and China shut-out Nicaragua in the night games of the Super Round Day 3 on Saturday, thus setting the medal round.
World No. 10 Puerto Rico and No. 1 Japan qualified for the World Championship Final.
No. 24 China and No. 17 Nicaragua placed third and fourth and will compete in the Bronze Medal Game.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) announced earlier that they modified Sunday, September 15, schedule due to the weather forecast.
Typhoon Bebinca is approaching southern China and will most likely strike in the late afternoon on Sunday, causing inclement weather.
The bronze and gold medal games will be played simultaneously at 9:00 (local time) at the Baseball Softball Conference Center in Shaoxing, China.
Read more about the Placement Round
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China-Nicaragua 4-0
China played at its best and shut out Nicaragua to clinch the Super Round third place and a spot in the Bronze-Medal Game. The defeat won't hurt Nicaragua. With a fourth-place finish, they will have a chance for the re-match on Sunday, September 15.
Right-hander Samuel Guadamuz took the mound for Nicaragua. China handed the ball to Wei Zhao.
China's leadoff hitter walked, advanced to third on sacrifice bunt and scored on Yuyang Li's RBI single.
Yi Zhou and Wentao Zhang also singled, extending China's lead to 2-0 and sending Guadamuz to the showers. Nicaragua called lefty Juan Gaytan to get out of the at-bat.
Nicaragua got on base in the first and the second. China closed the bottom of the second with a perfectly executed double play.
Gaytan left with runners at second and first and no outs in the top of the third. Left-hander Carlos Rodriguez picked the runner off second base to record the first out.
China made it 4-0 in the top of the sixth. One run scored on Qirui Wu's RBI triple and Wu scored from third when speedy leadoff hitter Xudong Zhu bunted for the hit off reliever Bryan Torres.
Wei Zhao went the distance and earned the win.
GAME REPORT
Japan-Korea 2-1
Japan came from behind to beat Korea in a thriller. Korea tried to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, but Samurai Japan reliever Wataru Matsud flipped the ball in time to catcher Taishi Naguchi for a huge second out.
Right-hander Ryoju Goto started for Japan. Korea gave the ball to 18-year-old left-hander Taehyun Kim.
Korea took the lead in the top of the second. Hyeonjun Ryu score from third on a sacrifice fly by Doohyun Kim.
Taehyun Kim took a no-hitter in the top of the fifth. He left after allowing his first hit, the fifth walk and with the bases loaded because of two errors.
Japan tied the game with a bases-loaded single by Takuma Hayashi.
The defending U-23 World Champions took the lead when Korea failed to complete the double play on Kazuhiro Ura's grounder to second.
Oga Nishimura took the mound for Japan in the top of the sixth. Hyeonjun Ryu led off the top of the seventh with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt.
Japan handed the ball to right-hander Wataru Matsuda. Sungmin Choi dropped a squeeze bunt in front of home plate. Matsuda got to the ball and flipped it to catcher Taishi Noguchi for a huge second out. He retired Jinhyung Kim on a fly to left field, getting the final out.
GAME REPORT
Puerto Rico-Venezuela 3-0
Puerto Rico shut out Venezuela to complete a perfect Super Round run and warm up for the World Championship Final against Japan.
Venezuela picked right-hander Oswald Mori as their starting pitcher, while Puerto Rico handed the ball to righty Luis Rodriguez.
Jankel Ortiz, the hero of Friday's game against Korea, scored Puerto Rico's first run. He led off the bottom of the third with a double and ran home on a single by Osvaldo Torres. Another run scored on a wild pitch.
Puerto Rico handed the ball to lefty Yediel Cuadrado in the fourth, and José Guzman took the mound for Venezuela in the bottom half of the frame.
Venezuela stranded three runners in the top of the fifth. Cuadrado left with the bases loaded and two outs, but left-hander Omar Melendez took care of the third out.
Venezuela got the third out of the bottom of the fifth at the plate. Laracuente tried to score from second on a base hit by John Montes but right fielder César Idrogo got him with a bullet throw.
Daniel Figueroa scored an insurance run for Puerto Rico in the bottom of the sixth. He singled, advanced to third on a double by Angel Guzman and scored on a passed ball.
Carlos Roses took care of the top of the seventh for Puerto Rico.
GAME REPORT
