A strong start from Adelaide Bite/Detroit Tigers prospect Jack O'Loughlin together with some timely early hitting saw Australia defeated Nicaragua 11-6 at the U18 Baseball World Cup.
Despite getting into some trouble on the mound, O'Loughlin showed why he's one of the highest rated young Australian prospects, collecting timely strikeouts and showing maturity beyond his years.
NSW Country star and reigning Australian Youth Championship MVP Rixon Wingrove gave the Australians the best possible start, nailing a three run home run to the opposite field in the opening inning.
Nicaragua pulled a run back of their own in the second, with cleanup hitter Jose Hurtado sending a pitch over the left field wall. That run would bet the only earned run O'Loughlin would concede in his outing, as he struck out the side following the home run to regain control of his outing.
Australian U18 Manager Steve Fish praised Jack's composure under pressure.
"He got into a little bit of trouble early today," Fish said.
"To Jack's credit though he pounded the zone and the offence backed him up well."
Following Nicaragua's run, the response was gamechanging, as Australia piled on six runs in the bottom of the second which proved the difference. A combination of some hard hit balls, drawing walks (Australia drew 13 walks in 8 innings) and some Nicaraguan errors gave Australia the opportunity to score and score heavily, which they did.
One key to Australia's victory was how early they were able to break into the Nicaraguan bullpen, with starting pitcher Ángel Obando only lasting 1.1 innings.
WA Catcher Alex Hall finished with three hits and two RBI on the day, while following O'Loughlin's solid outing, Jett Wright and Jamie Young both threw scoreless innings.
The final defensive innings wasn't without issues though, as Nicaragua scored twice. However it was too little too late as Australia claimed their second win in as many games, putting them in a good position as they look to advance to the Super Round.
Australia's fourth game of the U18 World Cup sees them take on Asian baseball powerhouse Chinese Taipei on Monday 4 September at 11.30pm AEST.
Australia's game against Chinese Taipei will be broadcast live on the WBSC's YouTube Channel. Stay tuned to @TeamAustraliaBaseball on Facebook for the link.
A workmanlike performance under adversity from Jake Green and an offence that made the most of their opportunities lead Australia to their first victory at the U18 World Cup.
The heavens opened after the fifth inning was in the books, and fortunately for Australia, that constituted a final result.
Green gave up an early run and seemed unsettled on the mound in the opening inning. Those jitters were compounded as he took a line drive hard to the ankle.
Following his eventful opening frame, starting pitcher Jake Green settled exceptionally well, mowing down hitter after hitter. Despite scattering a few hits here and there, Green and his Australian defence came up big in some key moments to keep Italy off the scoreboard.
Mitch Edwards drove in his first runs of the World Cup with a two-RBI single to give Australia the lead in the 2nd. The ACT representative singled to right field, scoring Alex Hall and Dermot Fritsch to turn the momentum in Australia's favour.
Australian Manager Steve Fish was pleased to see his team bounce back after a tight loss yesterday.
"I've had a chance to see Jake pitch quite a bit," Fish said.
"The defence loves playing behind him. He's got a great tempo and does a great job of keeping us in ballgames. Overall I was really pleased by the way we swung the bats and kept the pressure on Italy. The boys thoroughly deserved this one."
Runs came in bunches for the Australians in the middle frames, with an eight run fifth inning opening the floodgates and putting the result beyond doubt. Alex Hall picked up a two-RBI triple in the fifth, while Jarryd Dale and Nic Anderson-Vine both drove a run in as Australia batted around in the inning.
After the rain, lightning, hail and thunder set in at the beginning of the sixth, the ballgame was all but over.
A nice touch was shown by the Australian team, as they assisted the grounds crew in pulling the tarps over the infield. After the tarps were pulled, the Australian boys had a bit of fun as they celebrated their win with a trademark tarp slide or two.
Australia's next match of the U18 World Cup is against Nicaragua, with first pitch scheduled for Sunday 3 September at 11.30pm AEST.
A dominant pitching performance from Korea saw them defeat Australia 4-1 in their opening game of the U18 Baseball World Cup.
The Australian team threatened in the final frame with the bases loaded and the tying run at first base, however Jess Williams couldn't put bat to ball and the team fell just short.
Williams lead off the ballgame with a double off the wall, and was quickly joined on base by Josh Bedggood who drew a hit by pitch. They wouldn't advance any more however, as Korean starter Seo Jun Won found his rhythm.
ACT native Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis was outstanding in his six innings on the bump, striking out six and only allowing two earned runs against a top level offence. Cooper-Vassalakis kept his rhythm all afternoon on the mound, and despite getting into a couple of sticky situations, Cooper-Vassalakis showed maturity beyond his 16 years to give Australia every chance of victory.
Australian U18 Manager Steve Fish was ecstatic with Cooper-Vassalakis' performance.
"He really pitched great today," Fish said.
"Brodie threw every pitch in every count. Today he went out and trusted his stuff. He's a really talented kid and he put us in a great position today."
Australia's lone run of the ballgame came in the fourth, after Jarryd Dale singled and advanced to third on an error. Jamie Young then drove him in care of a fielders choice to try and spark a comeback for the Australians.
Cooper-Vassalakis was relieved by Lochlan Southee and Liam Holm, who both threw well to give their team a chance in the late frames.
In trademark Australian fashion, they never gave up to give the Koreans a scare in the ninth inning. Jamie Young reached on an error, Rixon Wingrove drew a walk, and when Nic Anderson-Vine singled to load the bases, Australia had the tying run on the base paths. However it was too little too late, as Yang Chang Seop claimed the final out of the ballgame to hand Australia an opening day loss.
Australia's next game comes against Italy, with first pitch scheduled for 11.30pm AEST, Saturday 2 September.
3rd place playoff: Team Balfour 10-6 Team Lloyd
Both starting pitchers were outstanding, however Team Balfour's offence came to life as they claimed a 10-6 win over Team Lloyd.
Jake Burns (2IP, 0H, 6K) and Clayton Campbell (3IP, 0H, 4K) put on an incredible pitching display through the early innings as neither offence fired.
Cooper Bake-Smith and Robbie Brennan both nailed two hits each for Team Lloyd, with Brennan, Aiden Prokopec and Nathan Smith all driving in an RBI.
Nicholas Chappell finished off his tournament well for Team Balfour nailing a pair of triples, with Max Chipper, Ian Lee and Declan Summerford all claiming two hits to help Team Balfour claim their first win of the Invitational.
Team Lloyd threatened with three runs in the final frame, but Team Balfour held their nerve to finish third in the inaugural Australian MLB Invitational.
1st place playoff: Team Shipley 7-6 Team Nilsson
The 1st place playoff lived up to it's billing, with Team Shipley edging Team Nilsson in a classic encounter.
Both teams scored in the first few innings, however Team Shipley's offence was halted by a strong relief performance from Charlie Collins. Collins only gave up two hits in two strong relief innings to keep Team Nilsson in the ballgame. Similarly, Patrik Paramonov threw exceptionally well for Team Shipley. The ACT native struck out three in two perfect relief innings to set his team up for the win.
Solomon Maguire nailed a pair of RBI to keep Team Shipley in the contest, with Daniel Choi picking up two hits.
Elijah Hewett brought the margin back to one after his inside the park home run in the seventh, however it wasn't enough as Team Shipley held on in the final game at the 2017 Australian MLB Invitational.
FINAL STANDINGS:
1. Team Shipley
2. Team Nilsson
3. Team Balfour
4. Team Lloyd
Team Shipley 13-9 Team Lloyd
Team Shipley kept their undefeated record in tact with a 13-9 victory over a gallant Team Lloyd.
After racing out to an early lead, Team Shipley withstood a stirring comeback from Team Lloyd, who scored heavily through the middle innings.
Solomon Maguire was outstanding for Team Shipley, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run and four RBI. Patrik Paramonov chimed with three RBI of his own, while Daniel Choi finished with two hits.
Team Lloyd also hit well, with Jack Bennetts nailing a home run to finish with three RBI, while NSW's Jake Burns was an impossible out, going 3-for-3 with a walk, two runs and an RBI.
Team Nilsson 7-6 Team Balfour
A six run inning from Team Balfour gave them a lead, however Team Nilsson rallied to score the last two runs of the game and claim a 7-6 win.
Keeley Ronalds-Greatbatch put in a fantastic start for Team Nilsson, throwing a perfect two innings which included a strikeout.
James Nati went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI in the leadoff spot for Team Nilsson, with Victorian Finn Weichard also driving in a pair of runs.
Nicholas Chappell's two-RBI triple gave Team Balfour the lead in the fourth inning and when Harry Garrett threw a perfect sixth inning, the bats had a chance to get it done.
Team Nilsson's Alex Ranieri ensured that wouldn't be the case, throwing the final half inning without an issue, and sealing Team Nilsson's spot in the 1 vs. 2 game.
Team Nilsson 8-6 Team Lloyd
Team Nilsson scored three runs in the opening inning and withstood a strong comeback from Team Lloyd to claim an 8-6 win at the Australian MLB Invitational.
Dylan Bojarski went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI for Team Nilsson, with NSW young gun Jimmy Nati also driving in a two runs.
Mclead Sell was outstanding on the mound for Team Nilsson, striking out five in three scoreless innings. Sell also chimed in with a hit and set the foundation for his team's win.
Maddux Stivey threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief for Team Lloyd, striking out two and not giving up a base hit, while NSW's Jake Burns finished with a triple and two RBI.
Team Lloyd held a three run lead late, however Team Nilsson's bats sprung into action, scoring the final five runs of the game to claim a tight victory.
Team Shipley 13-2 Team Balfour
Team Shipley scored early and often as they defeated Team Balfour 13-2 in the afternoon game at Albert Park Baseball Complex.
All four pitchers used for Team Shipley threw well, with Tyson Schunke, Cooper Rickard, Patrik Paramonov and Mitchell Thomas each showing good control to keep the Team Balfour hitters off balance all day.
Roan North finished with four RBI for Team Shipley, while Solomon Maguire nailed a rare inside the park grand slam to extend his team's lead.
Hits were shared for Team Balfour, with Clayton Campbell nailing a double and stealing two bases.
Day two of the Australian MLB Invitational threw up two more tight ballgames, with a tie between Team Shipley and Team Nilsson, and Team Lloyd edging Team Balfour.
Team Nilsson 7-7 Team Shipley
Both teams scored consistently all game, but a pair of runs from Team Shipley in the bottom half of the final frame saw the first tie of the Invitational.
Jimmy Nati was one of the better hitters for Team Nilsson, nailing a double and a triple as well as an RBI. Alex Ranieri and Lachlan Wilson both chimed in with a hit and an RBI each for Team Nilsson.
Despite giving up a few walks, Victorian Finn Weichard only gave up one earned run in his outing, as he pitched to contact and let his defence work behind him.
Connor Chehab was the only player on Team Shipley to claim multiple hits, one of which was a game tying triple in the final frame, while Tyson Schunke's two RBI triple gave Team Shipley their first runs of the ballgame.
Team Lloyd 6-5 Team Balfour
Team Balfour and Team Lloyd each traded blows all game, but a bases loaded walk from Team Lloyd gave them the lead and they never looked back, claiming a tight win.
Max Chipper went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the leadoff spot for Team Balfour, with Clayton Campbell driving in his team's only earned run of the ballgame.
NSW's Jake Burns finished with a pair of RBI for Team Lloyd, while Jack Bennetts nailed a pinch hit RBI double to tie the ballgame in the bottom of the fifth.
Jordan Norvall threw well for Team Lloyd, striking out four and only giving up one run, while for Team Balfour, Riley Franklin only allowed one run in his two innings of relief.
Australia had the better of the early frames, however Canada came home stronger to claim the final game of their pre-U18 World Cup series 10-5.
Ky Hampton, a right hander from South Australia threw three scoreless innings to begin the ballgame, striking out two and only allowing two hits. Hampton mixed his pitches well, consistently keeping the Canadian hitters off balance and had some solid defence behind him.
Jess Williams denied the Canadians the opening run of the ballgame with a slick play at shortstop. That momentum continued for the Australians, as they piled on four runs in the bottom of the first. Jarryd Dale’s base hit scored Williams, before Rixon Wingrove stepped up with bases loaded. The NSW Country representative put a deep fly ball gat the Canadian left fielder couldn’t handle, as all three baserunners scored.
Australian U18 Manager Steve Fish got what he needed to out of the eight game series.
“These games gave myself and the coaching staff a great indication of where we’re at,” Fish said.
“There’s no doubt we made several mistakes, but if we go about our business and do the little things right, we have a good chance.”
Western Australian catcher Alex Hall finished with two hits, while Mitch Edwards and Jarryd Dale both claimed a hit and an RBI apiece.
Canada opened the floodgates in the fifth inning, scoring all 10 of their runs in the final three frames to end the ballgame.
Australia opens their U18 World Cup campaign in Thunder Bay with a game against Korea on Friday 1 September at 1pm local time.