U 18 Men’s Softball World Cup Live Updates - Day 1: Canada win Game 1 over Czechia. Japan in front of New Zealand; Venezuela with the early lead against USA
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<p>The <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-u18-mens-softball-world-cup/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup 2023 (opens in a new tab)">WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup 2023</a></span></strong> opens today in Hermosillo, Mexico, with five games at Mundialistas Hermosillenses Stadium and Fernando Ortiz Stadium. World No. 6 Czechia take on No. 4 Canada on Game 1 of the competition at noon, local time.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class=""><tbody><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Canada vs Czechia</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">5 - 2</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Play by play (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-u18-mens-softball-world-cup/schedule-and-results/box-score/127240" target="_blank">Box Score</a></span></strong></td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">New Zealand vs Japan</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">2 - 8</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-u18-mens-softball-world-cup/schedule-and-results/box-score/127241" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Play by play (opens in a new tab)">Play by play</a></span></strong></td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Venezuela vs USA</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">2 - 0</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-u18-mens-softball-world-cup/schedule-and-results/box-score/127242" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Play by play (opens in a new tab)"><strong>Play by play</strong></a></td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Australia vs Singapore</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">16:30</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><br></td></tr><tr><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">Colombia vs Mexico</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center">20:30</td><td class="has-text-align-center" data-align="center"><br></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>
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<p>All games of the WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup will be broadcast live on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Gy9xiMLKzQhGNeHYYSfhMyB1aLAz5NqB6G7n10hbZ6ygyE0wjgaloCHXyk2ZQWi0Yw2RaGSmlQ98vgXFyf6qLoGLmI6sZjVsRP6Vwn9DztTArdej2Ahxu9NqbUG_4LST6ZqZRoLYozJBsQ0h5gv3RA==&c=U9-VHrQVT3TV67eLh8Ivrkalg7RxsnfU53bmccIwiTZd4t7491Shww==&ch=QpX6S14zJjpgShF2atomKqtfVUGYvoUWK7yjzWCGX_gRvHTLPr9lhw==" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">GameTime</span></strong></a>, the WBSC's online streaming service. Tournament and Daily Passes are some of the options to watch the WBSC U-15 Women’s Softball World Cup on GameTime.</p>
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<p>The teams have been split into two groups for the Opening Round:</p>
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<ul><li><strong>Group A</strong>: No. 2 Australia, No. 4 Canada, No. 6 Czechia, No. 10 Mexico, No. 12 Singapore and No. 24 Colombia</li><li><strong>Group B</strong>: No. 1 Argentina, No. 3 Japan, No. 5 USA, No. 7 New Zealand and No. 8 Venezuela</li></ul>
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<p>World No. 3 Japan will start their World Title defence at 13:30 at the Fernando Ortiz Stadium, facing off No. 7 New Zealand, which finished fifth in the 2020 World Cup. On Game 3, No. 5 USA will face No. 8 Venezuela in a rematch of the Pan American Championship Final, where the North Americans won the title with a 6-1 win. The game will be staged at Mundialistas Hermosillenses Stadium.</p>
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<p>Five-time world champions and No. 2 Australia will make their debut at 16:30 against No. 12 Singapore, while hosts and No. 10 Mexico will take on No. Colombia, the only tournament’s newcomer, at 20:30. The las two games of the day will be played at the Fernando Ortiz Stadium.</p>
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<h3>Venezuela vs USA</h3>
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<p><strong>Top of the 2nd </strong>– Jefferson Colmenarez reached first on an error. Then stole second base and advanced to third an another mistake. And finally scored Venezuela’s second run on a single from Juan Carlos Pereira.</p>
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<p><strong>Top of the 1st </strong>– Venezuela strike first with an RBI single from Jose Morales to plate lead-off hitter Juan Carlos Pereira, who had singled to start the game.</p>
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<h3>New Zealand vs Japan</h3>
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<p><strong>Sixth inning </strong>– New Zealand plate three runs on three walks, an RBI double from Ciaran Bloger and a single from Lennox Easthope. However, Japan replied with two in the bottom of the inning, on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. We head to the seventh with Japan leading 10-5.</p>
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<p><strong>Bottom of the 5th</strong> – Japan rally for four runs extend their lead to 8-2. Yuito Matsuo drove in two with a comebacker that hit New Zealand’s pitcher Hunter Simpson and wen into the right field. An error and an RBI single from Eito Yodogawa produced Japan’s other two runs.</p>
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<p><strong>Bottom of the 4th </strong>– Japan answer with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and recover the lead. Three costly defensive errors from New Zealand opened the door for Japan.</p>
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<p><strong>Top of the 4th </strong>- New Zealand take the lead!! George McCarroll and Shiloh Rice with the RBIs to put their team in front 2-1.</p>
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<p><strong>Bottom of the 1st</strong> - Ryuki Tsuda hit a double down the right field line to put Japan in front, 1-0.</p>
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<h3>Canada vs Czechia</h3>
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<p>Canada secured their first win of the tournament at Mundialistas Hermosillenses stadium, with a <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-u18-mens-softball-world-cup/schedule-and-results/box-score/127240" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="5-2 (opens in a new tab)">5-2</a> victory against Czechia in Game 1 of the competition. Sharl Leclerc went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored, and pitched 4.1 innings in relief to get the win.</p>
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<p>A pair of RBI triples from Blake Brubacher and Adrian Green in the second and third innings gave Canada the early lead over Czechia, and they never looked back.</p>
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<p>Leclerc pitched 4.1 innings, giving up three hits, one run and one walk, while striking out six.</p>
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<p>For Czechia, the loss was charged to Matej Macas, who struck out 10 in seven innings, allowing six hits and five runs.</p>
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<p><strong>Top of the 7<sup>th</sup> </strong>- Sharl Leclerc, who is pitching in relief since the second inning for Canada, brings in Brubacher to extend Canada’s lead to 5-2.</p>
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<p><strong>Third inning</strong> – Both teams exchange runs. Canada score their fourth run of the game on a triple from Adrian Green, while the European champions took advantage of a defensive error to cross the plate. The score is 4-2.</p>
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<p><strong>Bottom of the 2nd</strong> - Ondrej Seda puts Czechia on the scoreboard with a run-scoring single to the left field. It was Czechia’s first hit of the game. </p>
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<p><strong>Top of the 2nd</strong> – Canada rally for three runs, highlighted by a two-RBI triple from Blake Brubacher. Canada lead 3-0.</p>
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<p>The WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup is underway. Game 1 between Canada and Czechia opens the 42-game schedule in Hermosillo. You can follow the play by play <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-u18-mens-softball-world-cup/schedule-and-results/box-score/127240" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="here (opens in a new tab)">here</a></span></strong>.</p>
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