The WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup 2023 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.
Canada vs Czechia 5 - 2 Box Score New Zealand vs Japan 2 - 8 Play by play Venezuela vs USA 2 - 0 Play by play Australia vs Singapore 16:30 Colombia vs Mexico 20:30
All games of the WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup will be broadcast live on GameTime, 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.
The teams have been split into two groups for the Opening Round:
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.
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.
Top of the 2nd – 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.
Top of the 1st – 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.
Sixth inning – 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.
Bottom of the 5th – 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.
Bottom of the 4th – 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.
Top of the 4th - New Zealand take the lead!! George McCarroll and Shiloh Rice with the RBIs to put their team in front 2-1.
Bottom of the 1st - Ryuki Tsuda hit a double down the right field line to put Japan in front, 1-0.
Canada secured their first win of the tournament at Mundialistas Hermosillenses stadium, with a 5-2 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.
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.
Leclerc pitched 4.1 innings, giving up three hits, one run and one walk, while striking out six.
For Czechia, the loss was charged to Matej Macas, who struck out 10 in seven innings, allowing six hits and five runs.
Top of the 7th - Sharl Leclerc, who is pitching in relief since the second inning for Canada, brings in Brubacher to extend Canada’s lead to 5-2.
Third inning – 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.
Bottom of the 2nd - 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.
Top of the 2nd – Canada rally for three runs, highlighted by a two-RBI triple from Blake Brubacher. Canada lead 3-0.
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 here.
