Teams USA, Australia both post wins

Luke Hughes

Team Japan 1 at Team USA 5

WP: Duensing (1-0) LP: Kawawaki (0-1)
HR: USA: Young

Team USA got back into the win column Saturday with Minnesota's Brian Duensing pitching 5 innings, surrendering 1 earned run on 3 hits and 1 walks while striking out 2.

Jason Jaramillo (Philadelphia) caught Tsutomu Sasaki trying to steal 2nd base, helping Duensing escape from a two-hit first inning.

Jayson Nix (Colorado) and Andy LaRoche (LA Dodgers) drew walks to get on base in the bottom the inning, before Delwyn Young (LA Dodgers) crushed one over the centerfield fence to give the Team USA a 3-0 lead.

Duensing would walk Ken Suzuki in the top of the 6th before Neal Musser (Kansas City) came into the game with no outs. Takashi Yoshimura would bring him home on a sac-fly, with the inherrited run being charged to Duensing.

Nix doubled to lead off the 8th, and LaRoche walked. They moved around on Young's pop up to center, then a double by Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay) brought the pair home.

Team Usa takes on Team Spain on Sunday.

In other Group A action, Chinese Taipei took a 8-4 win over Spain, Mexico posted a 13-3 mercy rule win over South Africa, and Panama shut out Italy, 6-0.

Chinese Taipei, Panama, Team USA and Italy all have 3-1 records in the the Group A Division for a 4-way tie for first place.

Boxscore
Recap

Team Australia 26 at Team Thailand 1

WP: Fingleson (1-0) LP: Tongthong (0-1)
HR: Aus: Williams

The IBaF mercy rule states that if a team is leading by 10 or more runs after 7 innings, the game is final. Seven innings was a just a little too long to suffer for Team Thailand.

Thailand's lone run came in the 4th inning when Apichat Nganying and Wataphob Sampahangsit hit back to back singles. Following a line out to center, Somsake Sarnwit doubled to to right to plate Nganying.

It was the height of Thailand's day however. Team Australia actually waited until the 2nd inning to get going, leading off with Glenn Williams (Minnesota) single. Michael Collins (LA Angeles) reached on a fielder's choice that took Williams out at 2nd, but Collins replaced him there when Wachira Thongthong uncorked a wild pitch. Tom Brice (Independant) would ground out, but Collins advanced to 3rd on the play. Philadelphia's Brad Harman was then hit by pitch before Mathew Kent (Independant) doubled the pair in.

Oeltjen singled and advanced to second an another wild pitch by Tongthong. Gavin Fingleson (Independant) doubled, but Oeltjen only moved to 3rd. Justin Huber (Kansas City) hit a second double off Tongthong bring Oeltjen in. Williams single to right scored Fingleson and Huber. Williams advance to home on Michael Collins' (LA Angels) ground ball single, then came home on Tom Brice's (Indepentant) grounder to 3rd. Harman and Kent would both single before Hughes poped out to shallow right field to get the first out of the inning.

The offensive onslaught however, continued. Oeltjen Walked followed by Fingelson, who was hit by a pitch. Thailand replaced Thonthong on the mound by Nattapong Meeboonrod, who gave up a single to Huber and a 2-run homer to Williams, making the score 14-0 Australia. Collins and Brice then both flew out to end the inning.

The Boys from Down Under picked up another run in 4th, 5 in the 5th and 6 in the 6th before the game was finally completed. They record a total of 30 hits in contest.

Oeltjen finished up 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs, Williams was 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs, and Luke Hughes (Minnesota) was 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs. Harman, a former Clearwater Thresher, was 4-for-5 with 2 RBIs.

The Aussies take on Korea on Sunday. A win would virtually guarantee Australia's progression to the next stage of the tournament. Undefeated Cuba is expected to finish first in Pool B play, with the Aussies looking to lock up 2nd place in the Division.

Cuba defeated Korea 7-2, while Canada defeated Germany 10-0, and the Netherlands downed Venezuela, 7-4 in rest of the Group B competition. Canada, Korea and the Netherlands all trail the Aussies by 1 game with a 3-2 record so far in the tournament.

Boxscore
Australian Baseball
Aussie play-by-play