U.S. earns No. 3 seed in Pool B at WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship after 7-4 victory over No. 8 Venezuela

June 20, 2019

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U.S. earns No. 3 seed in Pool B at WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship after 7-4 victory over No. 8 Venezuela

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 20, 2019 Web Release: Link

PRAGUE – Clinching the No. 3 seed in Pool B after defeating Venezuela, 7-4, the USA Softball Men’s National Team collected their fifth victory and improved to 5-2 at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Men’s Softball World Championship (MSWC). Teams tied up the score twice during the seven-inning game, with Team USA ultimately coming out on top Thursday morning at Svoboda Ballpark.    "Today was a good win for us," said Head Coach Gregg Leather (Staten Island, N.Y.). "We were able to rest Tony (Mancha) while getting Duane (Weiler) and Joel (Cooley) some needed work. The game felt a little different and didn't have the urgency you might normally see since both teams had clinched a playoff spot, but you always want to enter elimination games on a high note. The offense has been looking better the past few games, and it will have to stay hot tomorrow if we hope to advance. We will draw a tough opponent next game, so we will have to be on top of our game."   Venezuela wasted no time, drawing a leadoff walk and doubling to left field to put two runners on before taking a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly ball. Retired in order in the bottom half of the frame, the U.S. defense went back to work and responded by retiring the Venezuelan side in the top of the second inning.   Matt Palazzo (Pleasant Hill, Iowa) drew a leadoff walk to begin the bottom of the second, but Venezuela turned a double play on a groundout from Jeff Nowaczyk (Midland, Mich.) to get the two outs. Sparking a two-out rally were Tyler Dudley (Battle Creek, Mich.) and Kevin Castillo (Long Beach, Calif.) who hit back-to-back singles before a walk to Nick Mullins (Toms River, N.J.) loaded the bases. Gil Saenz (El Paso, Texas) drew a walk on a 3-2 count to produce the first for Team USA, making it a tie ballgame after two innings.    With both teams stranding a runner through the third inning, the U.S. took the lead in the bottom of the fourth frame. Nowaczyk walked and Dudley singled to put two runners on with no outs, while both advanced on a wild pitch an out later. A go-ahead two-run double by Mullins put the U.S. in the lead, 3-1, while a pitching change in the circle by Venezuela closed out the fourth inning via strikeouts.   Cutting their two-run deficit in half in the top of the fifth inning, Venezuela hit a leadoff triple before scoring on an error with relief pitcher Joel Cooley (St. Paul, Minn.) in the circle. With runners on the corners and one out, Cooley issued a strikeout and a groundout to first baseman Palazzo ended the frame. Team USA recovered the two-run difference in the bottom of the same inning with an RBI double from Palazzo to plate pinch runner Marcus Tan (Union City, Calif.).    Tying the ballgame at 4-4 in the top of the sixth inning was Venezuela, hitting a two-RBI single through to the right field. However, the U.S. answered with three runs to take back the lead for good in the bottom half of the frame. Mullins singled on a bunt before Saenz and Jonathan Lynch (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) were issued a pair of walks to load the bases. Cam Schiller (Prescott, Ariz.) singled up the middle to plate two, while Jenner Christiansen (Hayward, Calif.) hit an infield single to score the seventh and final run for Team USA. Venezuela managed a one-out single in the seventh, but a fly out to Yusef Davis (Long Beach, Calif.) and groundout to Schiller secured the 7-4 win.    Duane Weiler (Richland, Pa.) struck out three, and allowed two runs on two hits over four and one-third innings of work, while Cooley fanned one batter and surrendered two runs on three hits. Dudley and Mullins were 2-for-2 on the day, with Mullins and Schiller leading the team with two RBI apiece. Team USA awaits the results of Argentina vs. New Zealand to determine their opponent tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. (6:30 a.m. CT) at Svoboda Ballpark.     Click here to see the complete schedule for the United States   The 16 teams that are competing in the WBSC Men’s World Championship are: Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Canada, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, USA and Venezuela.   Currently ranked No. 6 in the world, the U.S. is looking to improve upon a sixth-place finish at the 2017 WBSC World Championship in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, where the team finished with a 6-3 record. Team USA last stood on the podium at the 2000 edition in East London, South Africa.   Click here for more information on the 2019 WBSC Men’s World Championship   MEDIA: For more information on the WBSC Men's World Championship, please contact media@wbsc.co.   About USA Softball USA Softball is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USA Softball sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations.  USA Softball is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch.  USA Softball annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships.  The USA Softball umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.    As the NGB for the sport of softball, USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USA Softball, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.

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