Palmerston North, New Zealand – The Canadian U18 Men’s National Softball Team earned an 8-6 walk-off win over the United States in the first game of the U18 Men’s World Cup Placement Round. The teams went back and forth throughout the game before Jackson Pegelo (Cargill, Ont.) hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning.
In the top of the first, Brody Fraser (Upper Nine Mile River, N.S.) struck out the first two batters but the United States opened the scoring when following hitter hit an infield single, moved up to second on an error and scored on a single through the right side of the infield. Mason McKay (Tavistock, Ont.) was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the first, was sacrificed to second and advanced to third on a ball in the dirt but the next batter grounded out to the pitcher. Team USA started the second with a triple over the left fielder and the runner immediately scored on a wild pitch to increase their lead to 2-0. Canada got both runs back in the bottom of the frame, as Owen Rahn (Durham, Ont.) walked and Tyler Branchaud (Metcalfe, Ont.) was hit by a pitch, they stole second and third with Rahn scoring on a wild pitch and Branchaud on an error to tie the game.
After Fraser sat the United States in order in the top half of the third, Pegelo drew a walk and Jack Becker (Drumbo, Ont.) was hit by a pitch before Rahn lined an inside-the-park homerun to the right field corner, giving Canada a 5-2 lead. In the fourth, the Americans got a leadoff walk followed by a triple over the right fielder to score a run, and a single to right got them within one run. After a pitching change by Canada, the United States got a two-run triple to right with two outs as they regained the 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Ryan Bicknell (Prince Albert, Sask.) hit a deep fly ball that fell between the center fielder and right fielder, allowing him to race all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park homerun of his own to tie the game at 6-6.
In the fifth, the United States loaded the bases with a leadoff single, a bunt single and a walk, but Connor Brooks (Napanee, Ont.) struck out the next batter and after a wild pitch he was able to tag the runner trying to score from third to put an end to the threat. Brooks singled with one out but could not advance any further, while the United States got a single and a walk in the sixth, but Reese Yantzi (Shakespeare, Ont.) came in to get the third out on one pitch to get Canada out of the inning. After Yantzi sat the Americans in order in the top of the seventh, McKay reached on an error, moved up to second on a wild pitch and Pegelo stepped up with a walk-off two-run homerun to right to end the game 8-6.
Box Score: Canada 8 vs. United States 6
Fraser pitched the first three plus innings for Canada, allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits and two walks to go along with five strikeouts. Brooks scattered four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in two innings and two thirds of relief, while Yantzi picked up the win with an inning and a third of hitless relief, striking out two batters. Canada only managed four hits but three of them went for homeruns, with a pair of inside-the-park ones by Rahn and Bicknell and the walk-off shot by Pegelo. Brooks added a single in the fifth.
Canada (3-0) will now face Mexico (3-0) at noon local time on Friday (6:00pm EST on Thursday) in a game between the two only undefeated teams in the Placement Round. Mexico defeated South Africa 7-5 in their first Placement Round game. For more information including schedules, live scoring and streaming, visit the tournament website at https://u18mswc.wbsc.org/en/2020.
In the top of the first, Brody Fraser (Upper Nine Mile River, N.S.) struck out the first two batters but the United States opened the scoring when following hitter hit an infield single, moved up to second on an error and scored on a single through the right side of the infield. Mason McKay (Tavistock, Ont.) was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the first, was sacrificed to second and advanced to third on a ball in the dirt but the next batter grounded out to the pitcher. Team USA started the second with a triple over the left fielder and the runner immediately scored on a wild pitch to increase their lead to 2-0. Canada got both runs back in the bottom of the frame, as Owen Rahn (Durham, Ont.) walked and Tyler Branchaud (Metcalfe, Ont.) was hit by a pitch, they stole second and third with Rahn scoring on a wild pitch and Branchaud on an error to tie the game.
After Fraser sat the United States in order in the top half of the third, Pegelo drew a walk and Jack Becker (Drumbo, Ont.) was hit by a pitch before Rahn lined an inside-the-park homerun to the right field corner, giving Canada a 5-2 lead. In the fourth, the Americans got a leadoff walk followed by a triple over the right fielder to score a run, and a single to right got them within one run. After a pitching change by Canada, the United States got a two-run triple to right with two outs as they regained the 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Ryan Bicknell (Prince Albert, Sask.) hit a deep fly ball that fell between the center fielder and right fielder, allowing him to race all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park homerun of his own to tie the game at 6-6.
In the fifth, the United States loaded the bases with a leadoff single, a bunt single and a walk, but Connor Brooks (Napanee, Ont.) struck out the next batter and after a wild pitch he was able to tag the runner trying to score from third to put an end to the threat. Brooks singled with one out but could not advance any further, while the United States got a single and a walk in the sixth, but Reese Yantzi (Shakespeare, Ont.) came in to get the third out on one pitch to get Canada out of the inning. After Yantzi sat the Americans in order in the top of the seventh, McKay reached on an error, moved up to second on a wild pitch and Pegelo stepped up with a walk-off two-run homerun to right to end the game 8-6.
Box Score: Canada 8 vs. United States 6
Fraser pitched the first three plus innings for Canada, allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits and two walks to go along with five strikeouts. Brooks scattered four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in two innings and two thirds of relief, while Yantzi picked up the win with an inning and a third of hitless relief, striking out two batters. Canada only managed four hits but three of them went for homeruns, with a pair of inside-the-park ones by Rahn and Bicknell and the walk-off shot by Pegelo. Brooks added a single in the fifth.
Canada (3-0) will now face Mexico (3-0) at noon local time on Friday (6:00pm EST on Thursday) in a game between the two only undefeated teams in the Placement Round. Mexico defeated South Africa 7-5 in their first Placement Round game. For more information including schedules, live scoring and streaming, visit the tournament website at https://u18mswc.wbsc.org/en/2020.
