In a game full of tension, Team New Zealand had just defeated Team Venezuela 3-2, in the Pool Aqualifying round of the IX Junior Men´s ISF World Championship held in Paraná Argentina. Before that, in the day´s opening game, Team Australia knocked out Team Denmark 8-0.
Two great and aggressive teams faced at the “NafaldoCargnel†venue and the game they played was full of action, with memorable plays and a handful of high tension moments. There were a several protests and even a few physically tensioned situations that the group of umpires and the teams´ coaching staffs could contain not without effort.
Josh Pettet pitched the whole game, allowing 5 hits, two runs, five BB and eleven strike outs. For a moment, in the top of the seventh Jackson Prime relieved him but only pitched a BB.
The losing pitcher was Erick Chaparro, who also pitched all six innings, allowing 9 hits, 3 runs, 3BB and 4 strike outs.
At the beginning of the game, Team New Zealand took the lead, but Team Venezuela tied it by scoring Urdaneta on a fielder´s choice. Team New Zealand scored a run in the third and another in the fourth inning and with that score they got to the highest tension moment, the top of the seventh which was the last chance for the Southamerican to tie or win the game. Pettet seemed to lose the strike zone, hitting the first batter and throwing a BB to the second. Prime came in to the mound but also gave a base in and scored Victor Duno on a wild pitch.
Pettet came back to the mound and with a fly ball to the left field and two strike outs ended the game.
The first game of the day was between Team Australia and Team Denmark, the underdog that beat Team Venezuela 6-3. But they could not repeat the history and their efforts just lasted five innings until the reigning world champion knocked them out.
