New Zealand big over Philippines 
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Canada moves to perfect 6-0 record with win against Singapore 
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Prague, CZ - - Black Sox thrash Philippines in world softball championships comeback
World Baseball Softball Confederation
Captain Nathan Nukunuku smashed two home runs as the Philippines copped a Black Sox backlash at the men's softball world championships in the Czech Republic.
The world champions - fresh from a 5-1 defeat to pool leaders Japan - thrashed the Philippines 15-0 in three innings at Svoboda Ballpark in Prague on Wednesday (early Thursday morning, NZ time).
Coach Mark Sorenson had warned before the game: "Look out for the team we're playing against when our offence fires".
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That team was the Philippines - ranked 17th in the world - and overmatched in every aspect.
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The Black Sox blasted 14 safe hits in just 70 minutes on the diamond before the mercy rule brought play to an end.
Nukuknuku, who had struggled for hitting form prior to facing the Filipinos, broke his drought in emphatic style by batting 1.000 with a three-run home run over the rightfield fence in the second inning and a solo shot homer in the third.
His second king-hit followed a three-run automatic home run by outfielder Campbell Enoka, ably filling the leadoff hitter role with older brother Ben rested.
New Zealand piled on two runs in the first inning, four in the second and nine in the third .
The Kiwis cracked eight consecutive hits - including doubles by Wayne Laulu, Reilly Makea and Kallan Compain - in the third as they batted through their order.
Laulu went two from three to inflate his batting average to a tournament-leading .600 (six hits from 10 at-bats).
Makea,19, batted 1.000 with three hits from three, to go to .455, behind only Laulu and Ben Enoka (.500) at his first senior world series.
Nukunuku (4), Campbell Enoka (3), Makea (3) and Jackson Watt (2) led the RBI (runs batted in) rout.
Black Sox pitcher Josh Pettett claimed six strikeouts and gave up a solitary safe hit, a single to shallow centrefield by Philippines first baseman Ernesto Binarao.
While the run glut was a boost for Black Sox morale in what amounted to batting practice, coach Sorenson will not be getting too carried away, knowing there will be tougher teams than the Philippines ahead.
The Black Sox - currently ranked third in their pool - must beat Argentina in their final section game on Thursday (2.30am Friday NZ time) to clinch second place.
That would set up a likely quarterfinal clash against 2013 silver medallists Venezuela.
Japan clinched top place in Group A with a 2-0 win over Cuba after a home run - his third of the tournament - to Hikaru Matsuda, who also grabbed nine strikeouts on the pitching mound.
Matsuda brought in two runs with one swing of his bat to lead the tournament RBIs charts with 12.
Venezuela - unbeaten in the first rounds in Group B - suffered a second successive loss, going down 5-4 to Australia despite shading the hits count, 5-4.
Adam Folkard - the world's top pitcher of the past decade - struck out 13 Venezuelans and Australia, who left 10 players on base, profited from eight walks delivered by three Venezuela pitchers.
Canada remain unbeaten in Group A after beating Singapore 8-0 with home runs by Derek Mayson, Bryan Abrey (his third of the week), Shane Boland and pitcher Patrick Burns.
Barring any upsets in the final round of pool play, the quarterfinal match-ups would be Canada v Cuba, Japan v the United States, New Zealand v Venezuela and Australia v Argentina.
AT A GLANCE
New Zealand Black Sox 15 Philippines 0 (3 innings). Hits: NZ 14Â (Reilly Makea 3, Campbell Enoka, Nathan Nukunuku, Wayne Laulu 2, Kallan Compain, Jackson Watt, Joel Evans, Thomas Enoka, Jerome Raemaki) Philippines 1 (Ernesto Binarao). Home runs: NZ 3 (Nukunuku 2, Campbell Enoka).
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