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U-18 Men’s National Team outlasts Denmark for 7-3 victory at WBSC U-18 Men’s World Cup

February 25, 2020

Palmerston North, New Zealand –   U-18 Men’s National Team outlasts Denmark for 7-3 victory at WBSC U-18 Men’s World Cup


U-18 Men’s National Team outlasts Denmark for 7-3 victory at WBSC U-18 Men’s World Cup
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2020
Web Release: Link

 

Palmerston North, New Zealand – Notching their first win of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup, the U.S. squad outlasted Denmark to come away with the 7-3 win on Tuesday at Colquhoun Park. William Ponce (Olathe, Kan.) went 3-for-4 to lead the team, while starting pitcher Josh Eurich (Sebewaing, Mich.) fanned six batters in his seven innings of work.
 
Denmark led off the game with a single to right field but after retiring the next three batters faced, the U.S. offense got to work. Ian Winterhalder (Murray, Utah) drew a one-out walk and came around the bases on two passed balls before Ponce singled him home on a ground ball up the middle. Chase Thomson (Herriman, Utah) then reached on a walk to put runners on the corners before Parker Hopkins (Decatur, Ill.) singled on a fly ball to centerfield to make it 2-0.
 
The U.S. defense kept at it, stranding two Denmark runners in the top of the second with Eurich issuing two strikeouts. Despite Blake Kerr (Vassar, Mich.) and Manual Mendham (Vassar, Mich.) grounding out to start the bottom half of the frame, the U.S. continued to battle with Rivas singling and Winterhalder reaching on his second walk of the game. Ponce doubled down the right field line to plate the two before a single from Thomson extended the U.S. lead, 5-0.
 
Quickly retiring the Denmark lineup in order in the third, Klay Kilpatrick (Sydney, Australia), Kerr, and Rivas reached on a walk to load the bases with two outs for the U.S. Heads-up base running by Kilpatrick allowed him to cross the plate on a passed ball and make it 6-0 after three innings.
 
Retiring three-of-four batters in the top of the fourth and stranding one runner, the U.S. added to their lead in the bottom half of the frame after Hopkins doubled to score Ponce who had reached on a single.
 
The fifth inning saw Denmark rally to plate some runs of their own, as two crossed home on a RBI double to centerfield. Ahead 7-2, Rivas collected his second hit of the game and Winterhalder walked with two outs but a pop out in foul territory kept the runners at bay.
 
The score remained 7-2 in favor of the U.S. through the sixth inning and while Denmark tacked on another run, the U.S. secured the 7-3 victory.
 
Eurich finished the afternoon with six strikeouts and three runs allowed through seven innings to earn the win for the U.S., while Elsner took the loss for Denmark. Ponce led the team at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Hopkins posted two RBI. With the win, the U.S. move to 1-3 at the WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup and will play Japan tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. local time.
   
 A total of 50 games will be played across nine days as participating countries fight for the Gold. Team USA joins Denmark, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand in Pool B while Argentina, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Singapore, and South Africa are set to compete in Pool A.
 
The 12 participating countries will compete in a five-day Opening Round with the top three teams from each pool advancing to the Super Round, while the remaining six teams will compete in the Placement Round held Feb. 27-29. The top two teams will then advance to the World Championship game on March 1 at 4 p.m. local time while the third and fourth-place teams will battle for the Bronze Medal at 1 p.m. local time.
 
The U.S. squad looks to improve upon their fifth-place finish at the 2019 Pan American Championship and most recent WBSC World Cup where they finished in eighth place.
 
All 50 games of the tournament are available globally and free to watch for U.S. residents through the WBSC Official OTT platform Game Time (Gametime.Sport) and the WBSC Official YouTube Channel, per the WBSC.
 
Follow along with the USA Softball National Team Programs at USASoftball.com.

 

About USA Softball
USA Softball (USAS) 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 & Paralympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USAS sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations.  USAS 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.  USAS annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships.  The USAS 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, USAS 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 USAS, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.




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