THUNDER BAY – Team Canada came through in the crunch.
Trailing the underdog Italians most of Monday night in a do-or-die match for the host country, Canada rallied with two in the eighth to tie the game, then Marc-Antoine Lebreux-Beachemin lifted a sacrifice fly to left-field, scoring what proved to be the winning run in a 6-5 triumph on Day 4 of the Under 18 World Cup of Baseball at Port Arthur Stadium.
The win kept Canada’s slim hopes of advancing to the Super Round later this week alive, improving the team’s record to 1-2 with games left Tuesday against Australia and Wednesday against Nicaragua. A loss to Australia would officially eliminate the home side.
It was the Italians who struck first in the second, first baseman Leonardo Seminati bashing a Ben Abram pitch over the wall in left for a 1-0 lead.
Canada got the run right back in the third against Italy’s starter Oscar Tucci, Archer Brookman rounding the bases and scoring on a Denzel Clarke single up the left side.
But the Italians (1-3), proved resilient.
After Ricardo Paolini hit a ground-rule double that put runners on second and third and Sminati was walked intentionally, Riccardo Flisi singled up the middle to plate a pair of Italian runners, giving them a 3-1 lead.
Canada responded in the top of the fifth, Brookman scoring his second of the night on an error by Italy shortstop Gabreiele Angioi.
The Italian offence kept pressing.
After Abram recorded two quick outs to start the bottom of the fifth, Angioi walked to keep the inning alive.
Riccardo Bertossi singled and both runners advanced on an error by Canadian centre-fielder Jason Willow.
Both would score on a Paolini double.
The Canadians kept chipping away at their opponent’s lead.
Willow doubled home Clarke to make it 5-3.
Skip to the eighth and Canada running out of chances, they made the most of their opportunities.
Lucas Parente opened with a single and took second on a passed ball. Clarke walked to put the tying run on base, but the Italians recorded two straight outs and looked to end the threat.
Willow had other ideas, tripling to centre to score both runners and tie the game 5-5.
Moore, the Game 1 starter who took over from reliever Harley Gollert with two outs in the sixth, retired six of the final seven batters he faced to earn the victory out of the bullpen.
Canada loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, but only managed one run.
Canada is fourth in the Group A standings behind Korea (4-0), Australia (3-1) and Chinese Taipei (2-2).
Korea 12, Nicaragua 4: In Hyok Yi and Jun Hwan Jang homered to lead Korea to a fourth straight win in as many outings. Rodriguez Castillo had a pair of RBI for the Nicaraguans.
Australia 4, Chinese Taipei 0: Australia’s Jacob Amos doubled and homered and starter Ky Hampton went the distance to earn the shutout as the team from Down Under moved closer to a spot in the second round.
Japan 3, Netherlands 1: Japan scored twice in the sixth to erase a 1-0 Netherlands lead and improved to 3-1 at the World Cup of Baseball.
United States 5, South Africa 0: The U.S. pitching dominance continued, four hurlers tossing a nine-inning shutout for the undefeated Americans (4-0). Carter Young had three hits and scored twice. South Africa managed just four singles in the contest.
Cuba 5, Mexico 1: The Cubans scored four in the first and cruised to victory behind a five-hit effort over seven innings by pitcher Fonseca Rodriguez.
