News Every Day | 30 November 2022, 08:56

Argentina clinch top spot in Group A with 5-3 win over USA, advance undefeated to Super Round

Argentina clinched the top spot in Group A with a 5-3 win over USA in the last day of the Opening Round at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup, and will start the Super Round with a 2-0 record. The South Americans completed the sweep in the Opening Round, in spite of being outhit by USA 7-4.   Argentina took a four-run lead in the bottom of the first inning, hitting three of their four hits of the game, with RBI hits by Santiago Carril and Manuel Godoy, a grounder by Federico Eder and a passed ball.    In the top of the second, the game was interrupted for the first time due to a heavy rain falling at Rosedale Park. After the delay, USA returned in better sahpe offensivelly, scoring twice off Argentina starter Huemul Mata, who was pulled in the second, with no outs.   <blockquote class="wp-block-ve30-twitter-iframe twitter-tweet" allowtransparency="0" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="auto"><a href="https://twitter.com/WBSC/status/1597798507704115200"></a></blockquote>   Roman Godoy came in in relief and pitched six innings, giving up five hits and one run, against five strikeouts, and was credited with the win.    In the top of the third, Blaine Milheim rocketed a home run over the left fied fence to make it a one-run ballgame. However, Argentina scored an insurance run in the fourth, with a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Francisco Lombardo, in an espectacular diving catch by Tyler Johnson.   <blockquote class="wp-block-ve30-twitter-iframe twitter-tweet" allowtransparency="0" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" width="auto"><a href="https://twitter.com/WBSC/status/1597809249413124096"></a></blockquote>   Argentina advance to the Super Round with 2-0 record, while USA will open the next round with an even 1-1 mark.   Quotes: Argentina Coach Julio Gamarci   “We played against the toughest team in the pool play. These guys are hitting the ball really well, they are confident and they have good pitching.   “They mix their pitching and it was very tough to beat them. I am very glad to do that.   “Getting to the Super Round with no losses is good, but still you have to face the best three teams from the other group in the coming days. Our goal is to be playing on the last day, no matter what game.”   USA Coach Ron Hackett   "I am very happy with the drive and competitiveness that we have shown the entire tournament. I knew we would come back from that rain delay and the 4-0 deficit. We continued to fight the whole way through which is one thing we will take from this.   "They are a very very good team. To have that kind of game and represent ourselves that way – we can take that away from it.   "We now have a tough route ahead of us in the Super Round. It looks like we will go through as the No 2 seed from our side – one and one. We have things cut out for us as we head to that round to get back into the gold medal match.   "I thought our at-bats were really good. We took our time. They have three of the top six pitchers in the world. They can run everyone of them out there. By consensus the best one we chased him out. We got the No 2 in which is what we wanted to do – we could not quite get back to where we needed to be.”