Japan Defeats Canada at WBSC Junior
Men’s World Softball Championship

(Midland, MI) The Canadian Junior Men’s National Team lost 9-1 to Japan in six innings at the WBSC Junior Men’s World Softball Championship on Tuesday. Pitching his third game in as many days, Tyler Randerson (New Hamburg, ON) held the Japanese bats in check for a good portion of the game before they broke things open late in the game, scoring four runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings in the run rule victory.
 
Japan opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning, hitting a one-out single with the batter advancing to second on an error and to third on a ground out before scoring on a passed ball. Daniel Godbout (St-Gervais, QC) hit a one-out single in the bottom of the second but could not advance any further as the next batter popped out followed by a strikeout. Randerson sat Japan down in order in each of the second, third and fourth innings, and Canada looked poised to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Avery Arsenault (Tignish, PE) earned a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second by Alexandre Lemieux (St-Gervais, QC) followed by a walk by Jake Bricknell (Port Perry, ON) to put two runners on base. However, the next two batters struck out as Japan escaped the inning.
 
In the fifth, Randerson struck out the first two batters, but the next batter singled followed by a triple and another single to plate two runs. Ben Broek (Tweed, ON) came on in relief of Randerson and gave up a triple to bring another run home and the batter scored on an error to increase the lead to 5-0. Derek Hyde (Tavistock, ON) drew a leadoff walk in the fifth but was later retired at second on a fielder’s choice and Canada could not move the runner over. In the top half of the sixth, two Japanese hitters were hit by pitches before a pair of singles brought them in to score. With the bases loaded, two more runs came in to score on a passed ball and an error as Japan increased its lead to 9-0. Looking to extend the game, Arsenault got a leadoff walk with another walk taken by Justin Laskowski (Warman, SK). A ground out to first by Godbout allowed Arsenault to cross the plate, but the next batter struck out to end the game.
 
Box Score: Japan 9 vs. Canada 1
 
Randerson allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and struck out five in four innings and two thirds. Broek allowed five runs with two being earned on three hits and struck out one, while Cole Pavey (Glencoe, ON) issued one walk in two thirds of an inning. Godbout was the only Canadian player to register a hit and also drove in the only run.
 
The loss dropped Canada’s record to 1-2 at the tournament, while Japan improved its first-place record to 4-0. Canada will finish the preliminary round with a doubleheader on Wednesday, taking on Israel (0-4) at 2:00pm EDT before facing South Africa (1-2) at 8:00pm EDT. Live scoring and streaming are available through the event website.
 
Elsewhere on the third day of competition, Australia defeated the Czech Republic 3-2 before defeating Denmark 17-0, Argentina beat Botswana 6-2, the United States outscored Denmark 9-2, South Africa powered past Israel 12-1, and New Zealand defeated Mexico 11-1.