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Curacao took advantage of seven Australia errors to run away with a 10-0 win at the Senior League World Series.

The Caribbean representative team cashed in ten runs off just six hits but benefited from strong pitching, sensational defense, and unfortunate errors from Australia.

Represented by Ryde Hawks, Australia scattered four hits throughout the game.

Kevin Rosina had eight strike outs in 4.1 innings of work.

Australia will move to elimination portion of the bracket. They fight for their Senior League World Series lives – and a spot in the International Final – Friday morning at 6:00AM.

Game Recap

Curacao entered the game as runaway winners of the Caribbean competition. They are undefeated, scoring 10 runs in nearly all of their games.

They flexed their muscles again this afternoon.

It was a tough start for Australia. Three first inning errors proved costly, as Curacao put up four early runs off just two hits.

Only one of the runs was credited as earned to starting pitcher Jack Lenton.

The Caribbean added another unearned run in the third inning.

Lenton finished with a tidy 3.0 innings pitched, allowing just four hits, one earned run and three strike-outs.

Kellen Haynes took over in the fourth inning. He struck out two batters to get Australia out of a jam and keep Curacao at bay.

Meanwhile, Kevin Rosina was dominant on the mound. He struck out eight batters in 4.1 innings of shutout ball.

Australia threatened in the fourth inning. They had runners on first and third with two-outs but a great catch by a Caribbean outfielder robbed Australia of their first runs of the game.

It seemed to be a sparkplug for Curacao.

They piled on five more runs, again off some costly errors, to pull away and push the lead to 10-0. The game ended in by run rule.

Australia now enters the elimination portion bracket.

They next play Friday at 6:00AM in a do-or-die game vs the winner of Europe and Latin-America (Mexico).

BOX SCORE

CARIBBEAN (CURACAO):  10 Runs, 6 Hits, 0 Errors.
4-0-1-0-5

AUSTRALIA REGION (BRISBANE NORTH):   0 Runs,  4 Hits, 7 Errors.
0-0-0-0-0

Hits: Allaisdaire Ballantyne, Christian Lane, Callum Flint, Lachlan Heap

Pitchers
Jack Lenton – 3.0IP, 4H, 1ER, 1BB, 3SO
Kellen Haynes – 1.1IP, 2H, 4ER, 1BB, 3SO
Christian Lane – 0.2IP, 0H, 0ER, 1SO

Australia has won their first game at the Senior League World Series (U17) in South Carolina, holding off a late surge from Mexico to win 3-1.

Australia, represented by Senior League national champion Ryde Hawks (NSW), raced out to an early 3-0 lead and had to stand up to a relentless Mexican challenge late in the game.

Some tidy defense and clutch double plays helped Australia escape some tricky situations. Mexico had the bases-loaded with one-out in the sixth, and two runners on with no-out in the seventh. Australia induced inning ending double-plays on both occasions to keep Mexico off the board.

Lachlan Heap’s two-RBI single in the second inning was the offensive difference maker. Bradley Dalton also had two hits and scored.

Daniel Thwaites pitched the lion’s share of the game for Australia. He went 4.0 innings and allowed just one run.

Australia advances to the next round of this double-elimination tournament. They will play Curacao, the Carribean representative team, in the next round on Wednesday 2 August at 9:30AM AEST (Tuesday @ 7:30PM local time).

If they win that game, they will advance to the weekend’s international Championship Game, aka the semi-final of the Senior League World Series – a competition to determine the best club team in the world.

GAME RECAP

Things were scoreless early, large in part due to the efforts of Australia’s first female pitcher at the Senior League World Series. Isobel Lambert delivered a 1.2 inning performance allowing no runs, no hits and walking just two batters.

The Hawks had an initial breakthrough in the second inning. With bases loaded and two-outs, Lachlan Heap delivered a line drive single to score two runs and put Australia up 3-0.

From there, Ryde pitcher Daniel Thwaites took over. He navigated his first few innings cleanly, but Mexico started a rally in the late innings.

Mexico first pegged one back in the fifth. Back-to-back hits put the opposition in a threatening position with runners on second and third with just one out. Thwaites conceded just a sacrifice fly and Australia escaped by only allowing one run.

Then came the real pressure moment – a bases loaded jam in the sixth.

A walk and two straight singles put Australia on the ropes and juiced up the bases for Mexico. However, Thwaites induced an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to keep Australia out of trouble.

In the end, it was a tidy little stat line for Thwaites. He tossed 4.0 innings of five-hit ball and allowed just the one run.

Australia had to work out of another tough situation in the seventh and final inning.

An error and a single and suddenly Mexico was threatening again with runners on first and second and nobody out.

Simon Slapeta induced a ground ball for a fielder’s choice, followed by a game-ending double play to seal it for Australia.

LATIN AMERICA (MEXICO): 1 Run, 6 Hits, 1 Errors.
0-0-0-0-1-0-0

AUSTRALIA REGION (RYDE HAWKS): 3 Runs, 4 Hits, 1 Errors.
0-3-0-0-0-0-x

Hits: Lachlan Heap, Christian Lane, Bradley Dalton (2)
RBI: Lachlan Heap (2)

Pitchers
M. Harris: 0.1IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 1SO
Isobel Lambert: 1.2IP, 0H, 0R, 2BB, 1SO
Daniel Thwaites: 4.0IP, 5H, 1R, 1BB, 1SO
Simon Slapeta (Save): 1.0IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0SO,

Australia has four representative teams heading to the United States for the Little League, Intermediate League, Junior League and Senior League World Series.

These prestigious tournaments are broadcast on ESPN and garner huge crowds and media attention across the USA.

Here’s what you need to know.