Canada beat New Zealand in Men’s Fast Pitch 4 Nations Cup final ahead of WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals
A two-run homer by Ty Sebastian was all Canada needed to beat New Zealand, 2-1, and clinch the Men’s Fast Pitch 4 Nations Cup title in Saskatoon. The USA defeated Japan by the same score to take the bronze medal in the WBSC-sanctioned event. All four teams now head to Prince Albert for the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals, which open on Tuesday.
In the bottom of the first inning, with two outs, Sebastian launched a Liam Potts pitch over the left-field fence to give Canada a 2-0 lead in the final. These proved to be the decisive runs, as Canada’s pitching staff held New Zealand to a single run, scored in the top of the fifth on a wild pitch.
Canada finished the weekend undefeated, winning all four of their games, and head into the World Cup as one of the strongest title contenders. New Zealand, USA, and Japan all ended the round-robin stage with a 1-2 record, but the Kiwis advanced to the final based on the tie-break rule.
Results
Canada 3-1 Japan
New Zealand 4-3 United States
USA 4-2 Japan
Canada 4-2 New Zealand
New Zealand 0-1 Japan
Canada 5-2 USA
3rd Place – Japan 1-2 USA
Final – New Zealand 1-2 Canada