Australia, New Zealand stay unbeaten on Day 3; Denmark record first win

With full houses at 20 de Enero and Eduardo Porras stadiums, Day 3 at the WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup saw Denmark claim their first win in the history of the event. Australia and New Zealand are in control of their groups, while the battle for a spot in the Super Round is heating up.

New Zealand sit atop the standings in Group A with a perfect 3-0 record. Czechia and Japan are one game behind at 2-1, while Argentina and Colombia are tied for fourth place at 1-2. South Africa is still winless in the tournament.

In Group B, Australia remain the only undefeated team. Today, they beat Venezuela 2-0 at 20 de Enero stadium and sit atop the standings. Mexico and Venezuela are tied for second place with a 2-1 record and will face each other on Tuesday in a crucial game for the standings. Mexico defeated Canada 7-6 in extra innings, leaving the Canadian squad with a 1-2 record, tied with Denmark, who beat Singapore earlier today.

Denmark made history by winning a U-23 Men's Softball World Cup game for the first time. They defeated Singapore 7-5 in a back-and-forth contest. It is Denmark’s first win in a Softball World Cup in almost seven years, their last victory dating back to 21 June 2019, when they beat Cuba 3-0 at the Men’s Softball World Cup in Havlickuv Brod, Czechia.

Japan earned a dominant 14-0 win over South Africa. However, pitchers Kanta Aso and Yohei Hoashi stole the spotlight, combining for a four-inning perfect game. They struck out nine of the 12 batters faced. Aso, who started for Japan, struck out five of the six batters he faced over two innings, while Hoashi fanned four of six across the third and fourth innings.

Jack Besgrove continues to dominate in the World Cup. Today, he shut down Venezuela, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out 14, earning Player of the Day honours. He leads the tournament with 41 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched and three wins, and has yet to allow a run.

Alex Miranda also delivered an outstanding performance, leading Mexico to a key win over Canada. He hit two home runs and drove in multiple runs, including a clutch three-run shot in the top of the eighth inning.

Czechia’s win was fuelled by a powerful offence, with four home runs against Argentina. Tomas Trtilek launched a grand slam in the first inning to set the tone for the offensive outburst.

Tomorrow's schedule features key games. At Eduardo Porras stadium, Denmark will play Australia at 13:00; Venezuela will face Mexico at 16:00; and New Zealand will meet Japan at 19:00.

At 20 de Enero stadium, South Africa will play Czechia at 14:00; Canada will face Singapore at 17:00; and Colombia will take on Argentina at 20:00.