FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 24, 2016

 

USA Softball Junior Men’s National Team falls 6-5 to Argentina in WBSC Junior Men’s Softball World Championship opener

 

Midland, Mich. – Following an early morning rain delay and a switch up in the 2016 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Junior Men’s Softball World Championship (JMWC) schedule, the tournament officially kicked off at Emerson Park, home of historic Currie Stadium. Originally scheduled for today at 9:30 a.m. ET, the United States will now play Botswana tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. ET on Field 1. Also changing in the game schedule due to the inclement weather is the South Africa vs. Mexico and Czech Republic vs. Denmark game which have both been pushed back to tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. ET and 7 p.m., respectively.

 

Click here to see the updated WBSC Junior Men’s Softball World Championship game schedule

 

USA Softball 5, Argentina 6

Box Score

 

·         The USA Softball Junior Men’s Team suffered their first loss at the WBSC Junior Men’s World Championship in a 6-5 decision to two-time defending gold champion, Argentina. In the bottom of the first, the JMNT grabbed the early lead, 4-0, which began with a single up the middle from Bryce DuCharme (Hudson, Wis.) and a single to right field by Derek Martin (Stevens, Pa.). With DuCharme and Martin on base, Isaac Hormann (Young America, Minn.) singled, scoring DuCharme and Martin. The JMNT proceeded to add additional runs and go up 4-0 after just one inning of play, with Peyton Hall (Prairie du Chien, Wis.) scoring on a fielder's choice and Hormann crossing the plate on a passed ball.

 

After DuCharme added another run to the board for Team USA in the second to extend their lead to 5-0, the JMNT would get hurt by a number of miscues, committing five errors which eventually led to two unearned runs for Argentina. In the top of the fourth inning, Argentina hit a sac fly to make it 5-1, and the JMNT were unable to answer with runs of their own, seeing Argentina cross the plate four more times in the fifth to make it a tie ballgame. Starting the sixth, Argentina’s Ferrara reached second base following a bunt and an error on the play, eventually making it home on a fielder’s choice and a single by teammate, Scialacomo.

 

Team USA’s bat would go silent over the last two innings, as Argentina picked up the 6-5 win.

 

·         “When you only play five games, every one counts,” Head Coach Tim Lyon said. “We thought we had a good opportunity coming in after playing a good practice schedule and coming together really well. When the lights go on, sometimes it proves to be hard. We’ve got to come out and play like we can (in tomorrow’s game against Botswana).” The USA Softball Junior Men’s National Team is back in action tomorrow when they face Botswana at 10:30 a.m. ET on Field 1.

 

About ASA/USA Softball
Founded in 1933, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA)/USA Softball is the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, ASA/USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 70 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 165,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2.2 million.  ASA/USA is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won nine World Championship titles as well as claimed eight World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about ASA/USA Softball, please visit http://www.asausasoftball.com/.

 

About the World Baseball Softball Confederation 

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland -- the Olympic Capital -- the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is the world governing body for baseball and softball. WBSC has 213 National Federation and Associate Members in 142 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe and Oceania, which represent a united baseball/softball sports movement that encompasses over 65 million athletes and attracts approximately 150 million fans to stadiums worldwide annually. 

 

The WBSC also governs all international competitions involving official National Teams. The WBSC oversees the Softball World Championships (Men, Women, U-19 Men, and U-19 Women), Premier12, World Baseball Classic, and Baseball World Cups (U-12, U-15, U-18, U-23 and Women's).

 

For further information, please go to www.WBSC.org or follow the WBSC on Twitter at @WBSC.

 

 

 

Katie Willis I Communications Coordinator

Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball

2801 NE 50th Street

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73111
405-425-3425 (O)

Visit Us Online: ASAUSASoftball.com

 

 

Follow along with USA Softball as they compete at the WBSC World Championships!

 

WBSC Women’s World Championship (July 15-24) –  http://go.teamusa.org/29JXAld  

WBSC Junior Men’s World Championship (July 24-30) –2016JMWC.com