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A more opportunistic Puerto Rico downed Australia 6-0 at the U18 World Cup in Taiwan on Sunday morning to stay unbeaten in the tournament.

The game was much closer than the scoreline suggests.
Puerto Rico held a 2-0 edge for much of the afternoon, until they pulled away with a four-run sixth inning. Games at the U18 World Cup are 7-innings.

Australia had multiple baserunners in the fourth and fifth innings but couldn’t find a critical scoring hit to push ahead.

Puerto Rico took advantage of walks and a couple defensive miscues to score two in the first before their monstrous penultimate inning.

Puerto Rico had six hits in the game to Australia’s four. Australia did have nine baserunners but couldn’t convert any of them into runs.

On the mound, Puerto Rican pitchers Byron Madero and Jarrette Bonet combined for eight strike outs.

Ali Tanner (South Australia) pitched 4.1 innings of two-hit, one-run baseball in his start for Australia.

Callum Donnelly (CNSW), Declan Speirs (VIC), Tom Chessell (QLD) and Michael De Gasperis had hits for Australia.

The loss drops Australia to 1-2. They have two games remaining in Group A – Monday vs South Korea and Tuesday vs Czechia. Australia needs to finish within the Top 3 to advance to next weekend’s Super Round and contend for a medal.

Standings are below.

Box Score: Click here.

Game Recap

Australia didn’t exactly put the best foot forward in the field.

Puerto Rico scored their first run before they even had a full-swing base hit or a recorded out.

Hiram Bocachica walked, Jan Rayes reached on an infield bunt. A passed ball, an errant throw that sprayed wide of second base, and a sacrifice fly moved the runners around. 2-0, just like that.

Despite some defensive bumbles in the field, and a pair of walks, Australian starting pitcher Ali Tanner helped his side settle down. He recorded a couple strike-outs to keep the game at a 2-0 scoreline after one.

Tanner kept getting comfortable. The South Australian pitched 1-2-3 innings in the second, third and fourth to keep his team in it.

At one point, Tanner retired 11 Puerto Rican batters in a row.

The Australian bats took a while to get rumbling. They applied their first pressure in the fourth. A Tom Chessell hit and a walk to Josh Nati put two runners in scoring position with two-outs.

A solid start from Ali Tanner (photo: WBSC)

Byron Madero delivered a huge strike-out to get out of the jam.

Madero’s final line read: 4.0IP, 2H, 3SO and crucially 0 earned runs.

🇵🇷 Starting pitcher Byron Madero strikes out the batter with a late-movement-breaking ball to end the inning! – XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup#BaseballWorldCupU18 pic.twitter.com/Gk9Y0NqHz7

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) September 3, 2023

Tanner delivered a wonderful performance of his own. He went 4.1 innings allowing just one earned run, two hits, three walks while striking out three.

Benjamin Karakasis took over from Tanner in the fifth inning and scored a massive strike-out to end the frame and strand a Puerto Rican runner at third.

Australia tried to turn the screws again in the fifth, this time vs new pitcher Jarrette Bonet. They had two runners on with nobody out, but Bonet retired Jack Ratcliffe and Declan Speirs on strikes to end the threat.

Puerto Rico piled it on in the sixth inning to pull away.

The island nation tallied three hits and an error in the sixth. The devastating blow came off the hands of Diego Garcia. His two-out RBI double brought in two runs to push the score to an unsurmountable 6-0 advantage.

Australia got a baserunner on in the seventh, but couldn’t bring him around.

In total, Australia left eight batters on during the game.

Australia has to regroup and get ready for a clash vs South Korea on Monday afternoon at 4:30PM AEST. The Aussies likely need to win the game to have any shot at progressing to the group stage.

STANDINGS (AS OF 1:00PM AEST, SUNDAY)

For up-to-date standings head to the WBSC Official Website.

A clutch late two-out rally and solid pitching were big contributors to Australia’s 4-2 win over Mexico at the Under 18 World Cup on Saturday.

Australian bats were stymied by sensational Taiwanese pitching in a 3-0 loss at the Under 18 World Cup opener in Taipei.

Highly touted Chinese Taipei pitching prospect Sun Yi-Lei was exactly as advertised for the host-nation. The Taiwanese pitcher, who comes equipped with a fastball that charts up to 95mph, was simply brilliant.

Sun pitched a complete game shutout, going 7.0 innings, allowing just one hit, two walks and eight strike-outs.

Australian starting pitcher Adam Bates (NSW) did a good job of controlling a tricky Chinese Taipei line-up. He allowed just four hits and one run in his 4.0 innings of work.

“I thought Adam was outstanding tonight,” said Australian head coach Andy Kyle. “He really set the tone and attacked the strike zone. He kept hitters off-balance and produced some weak contact. He was unlucky to not leave the game with 0-0 score-line.”

Chinese Taipei scored the winning run in the fourth inning off back-to-back soft contact hits.

They added two more off Australian miscues in the sixth.

The Under 18 World Cup is arguably the most prestigious of all junior international events, consistently featuring future household names and global stars. Read the game recap, as it happened, below.

Australia has an off day on Friday. They play Mexico next at 12:30PM on Saturday morning.

Box Score: Click here.

Game Recap – As It Happened

Above: Adam Bates (Photo provided by WBSC)

To use an age-old analogy, this World Cup opener had the feel of a heavyweight match-up. Especially when it comes to the battle between the two pitchers.

In Australia’s corner was Adam Bates. The experienced teenager from New South Wales is returning for his second U18 World Cup after posting a sub-2.00 ERA in last year’s tournament. There’s a big reason why scouts from major US colleges and MLB teams are circling.

In Chinese Taipei’s corner is Sun Yi-Lei. Widely regarded as the “Ace” of the Taiwanese staff, Sun comes equipped with a 95mph fast-ball, a buckling change-up and a devasting curveball.

⚾Day 1 is underway! ⚾🏆 Australia take on Chinese Taipei in Game 1 of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup!

📺Watch on https://t.co/soado4PumL#BaseballWorldCupU18 pic.twitter.com/0TfTULxi13

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 31, 2023

Both prized fighters delivered for their country.

Sun was everything as advertised and more. He got off to a stunning start by holding Australian batters hitless through the first four innings while stacking up six strike-outs.

The Taiwanese Ace was landing his first pitch for strikes, often using his breaking ball to get ahead in counts. He used his off-speed to compliment his buzzing mid-90s fastball.

If Sun was attacking with devasting, swinging, right-handed punches, Australia’s Adam Bates was countering with tactful jabs in the World Cup ring.

View more stories, meet the U18 team, and find the schedule at our International Hub.

Taiwan may have pressured early but Bates found ways to get Australia out of jams. The hosts had baserunners in the first and second innings but couldn’t capitalise.

Bates worked counts, kept composure, and kept the hosts scoreless through the first three innings.

He mixed his pitches well, especially landing his curve ball, to induce soft contact. Bates moved his fastball up-down-and-around the strike zone to keep the Taiwanese offense off balance.

Australia also got some help from the defense, too.

A tough play was executed by the Australia catcher to beat the Chinese Taipei runner at first base for the out. – XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup#BaseballWorldCupU18 pic.twitter.com/RBP0aMaJl6

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 31, 2023

At one point, Bates retired eight batters in a row.

Despite his efforts, Chinese Taipei went ahead in the fourth inning. It was a matter of “where” the ball seemed to bounce.

Bates got the first two outs of the inning with ease. Then, a walk.

Chinese-Taipei got a homefield kick with an infield single to put two runners on with two outs.

Lee Hsun-Chieh then put the hosts ahead with a dribbling ball that had eyes for a gap between shortstop and third.

Hsun-Chieh Lee drove in the first run in the 2023 edition of the U-18 Baseball World Cup to give Chinese Taipei a 1-0 lead! – XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup#BaseballWorldCupU18 pic.twitter.com/v0uPqmXqsv

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 31, 2023

Australia, meanwhile, struggled to build something defensively. They couldn’t find a way to move a runner past second base.

Lachlan Smith did break up Sun’s no-hitter in the fifth inning.

Bates got the hook after four innings. His final line? A fantastic 4.0IP with just four hits, three strikeouts and only one earned run.

Jai Hewitt (WA) grabbed the reigns in the fifth-inning. He immediately worked a 1-2-3 inning.

Sun, meanwhile, just found a way to keep on rolling.

“Obviously he was dominant,” said head coach Andy Kyle after the game. “A fastball in the 90s, a change-up and a split was always going to be tough. I thought we competed well in the box and had some hard-hit balls, but we couldn’t find that big hit tonight.

Chinese Taipei pulled away in the sixth. Two misplays in the Australian outfield helped scored two runs before the boys from Down Under could record an out.

3-0.

Benjamin Karakasis took over from Lachlan Rosser in the sixth. He entered with two runners on-base and nobody out. He needed just needed four pitches to get out of the jam and stop the hosts from pulling further away.

Australia fell in order in the seventh inning, sealing the complete game for Sun and the victory for Chinese Taipei.

Despite the loss, Kyle remains optimistic about the rest of the tournament, as focus shifts to Mexico on Saturday.

“We will stay positive,” he says. “We did a lot of things well in the ballgame and have arms fresh and ready to go for Mexico. Hopefully we can build some momentum and start well in the next game.”

Catch up on all stories at our International Hub.

On the night players from Australia’s Under-18 roster were informed they made they made the prestigious World Cup squad, longtime senior team member Sam Holland surprised the group for a chat.

He brought with him something incredibly special and deeply personal to this country’s baseball community – an Australian flag with a unique history.

“What I showed the players was the Senior Team’s Australian flag. It has the signatures of our past and present senior team players, with the earliest dating back to 2004,” says Holland. “It is there at all Team Australia names and embodies the respect and passion we all share when we put on the uniform.”

The message was simple. From a senior Team Australia member to the up-and-coming players in our sport – you are part of family, and nothing will change that.

“It was awesome to share this small piece of our country’s more recent baseball history with the U18 group. It was also mentioned that there is plenty of space left to be filled and if they continue to play the game the right way and represent our country with pride and passion, they may one day get the privilege of adding there names right there beside some of our nation’s greats,” says Holland.

When you’re part of Australian baseball community you’re part of a family.

This is represented on the national team’s uniform, with an indigenous designed emblem telling exactly that story and presenting a message of community, gathering and sharing knowledge between generations.

This Under 18 World Cup squad playing this week in Tawian has more than a few more family links. This is in the literal and metaphorical sense – the next generation is quite literally coming through.

Let’s look at infielder Nic Paparella. The South Australian infielder is about to put on the Green & Gold at World Cup for the first time. He’s following in the footsteps of his father Mark, who also played for Australia’s Under 18 team in 1995.

Mark flourished in the 1995 World Cup, helping Australia to a Bronze Medal, and being named to the tournament’s All Star team.

Above: Mark Paparella in 1995.

“It’s pretty uncanny,” said Mark to an Adelaide newspaper this week. “Chinese Taipei has always been huge in baseball – we actually played against them in the bronze medal games all those year ago.”

Mark says Nic has the potential to do more damage than himself.

“Nic’s a bit bigger than me,” says Mark. “He’s got a bit more pop.”

Other generational links from South Australia? Jack Bushell’s father James played baseball for the Adelaide Giants in the 1990s. His mum Selena won a bronze medal in softball at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“The reason I started playing was because dad played baseball and mum played softball, I didn‘t really have an option,” Jack Bushell told CODE Sports earlier in the week.

The most famous link of all comes from the West.

Under 18 member Jai Hewitt is following in the footsteps of his dad Jason, who doesn’t need much of an introduction to Australian baseball fans.

Jason became the youngest player selected for the Australian National Team in the 1994 Baseball World Cup held in Managua, Nicaragua. He also played for Australia at the 1996 Olympics, was an ABL All Star in 1998 (Perth Heat), a Heat MVP and a three-time Claxton Shield winner.

“My dad definitely influenced me to play,” says young Jai. “My goal is to play for the Perth Heat in the ABL, [like my Dad].”

Victorian infielder Jayden Kim comes from great stocks, too. His dad David played in the Australian Baseball League and is now a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He wasn’t forced into anything, but fell in love with the game. After exploring other sports, Jayden landed on baseball, he told a local newspaper.

“I began playing when I was 10 years old after a short stint playing soccer and tennis. I like them both but I love baseball,” he said.

Jack Ratcliffe’s (VIC) father played for Team Australia at a World Cup too.

“I first started playing baseball at age 6 at Upwey Ferntree Gully Baseball Club [in Vic],” Ratcliffe says.  “I wanted to follow my dad’s footsteps and aspire to be like him and represent Australia.”

How about the literal brotherly connection? Josh Nati’s brother James played for an U15 Australian side a few years ago. Jimmy now plays college baseball in the USA at high-end Pac-12 program Stanford.

But family links don’t just have to come from past Team Australia members. There are other ways people found their way into the game. And once you’re part of the Australian Baseball community, you become family.

Koby Chesterton’s father played baseball so he signed up his son to play t-ball in the ACT. Now he’s the only U18 national team member from the Capital.

Benjamin Karakasis (NSW) watched his brother play. That’s how he started.

Other kids like Tom Chessell had their parents sign them up. Now, he’s in Taiwan playing for his country.

Lachlan Smith stumbled upon the game when at a friend’s ninth birthday party. Who would have thought that part would have led Smith to representing Australia?

“You never know where baseball can take you,” says Baseball Australia’s high performance manager Andrew Riddell. “The powerful thing here is that when you put on that Green & Gold you are forever and always part of that special family. Teams are bonded by it.”

Riddell says the night of the team selection was moving.

We’re not stereotypically Australian at all…. 🦘🐨 (sound on) #BaseballWorldCupU18 @WBSC pic.twitter.com/0szVTNkjnI

— Team Australia (@TeamAusBaseball) August 29, 2023

“It was a big deal,” he says. “We had a cool video where we had previous players from U18 teams – guys from 2019 and 2022, some of them are playing pro now – send us a video congratulation the players on making the team and wishing them luck. You could just tell how much it meant.”

This family goes to battle as a unit starting Thursday night in front of an anticipated full house vs tournament hosts Taiwan. Australia plays five games in the six-team Pool A of the Under 18 World Cup. They need to finish Top 3 to advance to the Super Round to contend for a medal.

You can watch all games via the WBSC’s streaming service at www.gametime.sport.

First pitch is 8:30PM AEST Thursday night vs. Taiwan. You can read all our stories on the U18 team at our International Hub.

The Under 18 Baseball World Cup starts this time next week.

Australia’s contingent of top young talent flies out late Thursday to Taiwan. They’ll have a week to prepare for the tournament.

They’ll need every second of preparation they can get – the competition is top notch.

Australia has finalised their roster for next week’s 2023 Under 18 World Cup of Baseball in Taiwan.

Australia and Curaçao battled in an entertaining contest at the Little League World Series, but the Carribean nation edged out the Sydney-side 2-1.

It certainly is a grand stage for this U13 event and a heck of an experience for Australia, represented by NSW charter Hills.

Australia ended their Women’s World Cup campaign on a high note with a 9-2 win over Hong Kong on Monday morning.

The game was much closer than the scoreline suggests. The Emeralds trailed 2-0 in the fifth inning and were being no-hit.

Claire O’Sullivan (NSW) recorded two of her three runs batted in on the afternoon with a clutch two-out double in the fifth to put Australia up 3-2, helping to erase an early 2-0 deficit.

The Emeralds piled on the runs in the seventh, scoring six times to put the game beyond doubt.

O’Sullivan went 2-for-3 with 3RBI. Morgan Doty also pieced together a 2-for-3 afternoon with a pair of RBIs to her name.

Lili Cavanagh and Gen Beacom also each had two hits. In total, Australia had 10 base knocks.

The Emeralds got solid pitching throughout the game, limiting Hong Kong  to just three hits.

Maddison Erwin (ACT) opened the game with 2.2 innings of work, allowing two unearned runs off two hits. Maddison Tabrett (NSW) pitched 3.1 innings of relief with one hit, no walks and no runs. Ash Patton (ACT) pitched a clean seventh inning to round things out.

Australia finishes Group A in fourth place with a 2-3 record. Unfortunately, the Emeralds fall just short of advancing to the Final Round in 2024. Australia either led or had the winning run in scoring position in all games played.

You can read about the tournament and view the game recaps at our international hub at www.baseball.com.au/internationalhub.

BOX SCORE – Australia def. Hong Kong

Game Recap

Maddie Erwin started well on the mound for the Aussies. She weaved a perfect first two innings to keep zeros on the board.

The Emeralds had their chances early. They loaded the bases in the second but starting pitcher Yin Sum Kwong struck out Kelsey Brennan to end the inning.

In total, Australia left six baserunners on through the first four innings but couldn’t convert.

Despite the six base runners, none of them were actually hits – they all came off walks and errors.

It didn’t help that Hong Kong made some highlight reel defensive plays to keep bats at bay.

WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup players 1️⃣
WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup wall 0️⃣#BaseballWorldCupW pic.twitter.com/nkvmndeRdm

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) August 13, 2023

Hong Kong plated a pair in the third inning. With two outs and nobody on, Hong Kong started a rally. A walk and hit put two runners on, and then Australia made two errors to account for the two runs.

Yin Sum Kwong put forward a heck-of-an-effort for Hong Kong. She held Australia hitless through the first 4.2 innings with five strike outs.

Finally, Emerald bats woke from their slumber with two outs and nobody on in the fifth.

Lili Cavanagh, Gen Beacom, Leah Cornish and Claire O’Sullivan strung together four consecutive hits to put Australia on the board.

Cornish had an RBI to make it 2-1 and chase Kwong from the game.

Claire O’Sullivan went bang on one of the first pitches she saw from new pitcher Yik Shan Hung. The veteran slugged a ball deep into the outfield to score Beacom and Cornish and give Australia the lead.

Claire O’Sullivan gives us the lead! #WorldCupBaseballW

📹: @wbsc pic.twitter.com/n8B7mcQOK8

— Team Australia (@TeamAusBaseball) August 13, 2023

Hong Kong, meanwhile, struggled to get anything going offensively after their two runs in the third.

Maddison Tabrett was excellent in relief of Erwin, throwing 3.1 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball.

Australia put up a lopsided number in the seventh inning to seal the deal. Five hits, a walk, a hit-by pitch and a sacrifice fly accounted for six runs in the damaging getaway inning.

O’Sullivan, Gen Beacom, Carly Moore, Morgan Doty and Lili Cavanagh had the hits in the seventh for Australia. Doty had a two-run RBI, O’Sullivan plated a run, while Jordan Richardson and Caitlin Eynon had sacrfice flies.

16-year-old Ash Patton finished the game off with a tidy 1-2-3 inning including two strikeouts.

Standings

1. USA – 5-0
2. Canada – 3-1
3. Mexico – 3-2
4. Australia – 2-3
5. Hong Kong – 1-4
6. Korea – 0-4