By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor.
Germany may have started with the World Cup under 18 baseball with a few victories, but in today’s matchup of Europe’s two delegates it was Italy that claimed the victory, his second consecutive at the tournament in Okinawa. In the meantime, South Africa China accepted his first victory over the U18 World Cup.
Germany – Italy
Santiago Arismendi threw a four-year-old gem in relief, and Italy came to defeat Germany in a collision of European nines on the world cup under 18 baseball.
It was Italy that first made a walk and two mistakes in a single run in the first, despite the German starter Jona Widmann who hit the side. The Deutschlanders, however, immediately hit back and loaded the bases to start the second on walks to Finn Niemeyer and Robin Spies and a handy bump from Benito Bull, who made the runners ahead, found sufficient real estate to have Bull beat a hit. Kyran Norgren then lifted a bag from the middle to score Niemeyer, and Alessandro Carrasquilla was a single to the middle outfield for the RBI. Federico Magalotti, however, ran out of the jam on the next batter, however, causing a fly -out to the left center induced that Enrico bicchiarelli tracked down.
Italy regained the lead in the third after a base on balls to Aldo Pavarani and a double to Pablo Suárez. Patrick Silva sent the former house on a ground ball, while Súarez touched the board after a wild throw.
Arismendi took over for Magalotti after rain delayed the game in the first place with Italy 3-2. Italy added a small breathing room with a marker in the fifth, again after a lead -off walk to Pavarani, which scored on a passed ball. Arismendi was a bait from the ‘pen for the Italian skipper Guglielmo Trinci, fired four shutout -innings and put the last 11 batters in order. The right -handed only allowed two hits, while he hit four without a walk.
Lost in the result was the solid pitching of the two Hurlers of Germany. Starter Jona Widmann had bad luck to take a loss, to punch six in four innings and allow only two hits and two free walks. Samuel Redle ended with two innings and threw two out of it. The two teams each had only four hits, with Germany’s bull the only player who scored a few, although Pavarani reached the base three times and also a basic stable.
China – South Africa
China scored three points in the first of the first against Christian Fradd and set the tone. Xin Zhao made the best out of a lead-off defensive error with an RBI-Triple and Haonan Chen added a two-run knock.
Aydee Osman got South Africa on the board in the second after a one-out single by Stiaan Henning, but De Groene and Gold could not place Osman.
The two run shortage did not last long, because China produced a single run in the third during a walk, a sacrifice, a beam and a grounder. In the fourth, a throw error led to two more runs for the East Asian team.
Jaden du Preez gave South Africa new life in the bottom of the frame, with a hit of a base along the left field line to start things. The two-way player came from the bank to offer a few hits, the only South African who hit the performance in this game. The hot-hitting Joshua Botha dropped one of himself in midfield and put runners on the corners. The catcher of China, Xin Zhao, then succeeds in catching Du Preez, and the caught stealing China published the first. A grounder from Henning scored Botha, but South Africa only succeeded in one point in the frame.
In the last three innings, China added at least one point to each, legs two in the fifth, one in the sixth and another pair in the seventh. Down 11-2, South Africa at least ended with a positive, while Junaid Bedford led with a free pass, and Pinchloper Liam van der Westhuizen scored on a single by Connor Steyn.
Errors were the story of the game, because China did not commit a crime, while South Africa allowed nine undeserved runs to score on four errors. Fradd and Connor Stander, the first reliever named by Dean McKinnon, mainly fell victim to the defense. The first went three innings, sent two to strikes and were four points on four hits and two free runs, but with only one of the earned runs. Stander threw 2.2 frames, with five scoring, none of them earned. Jayden Clarke ended the last 1.1 innings, with one of the two runs to score unmerited. All together added, South Africa allowed seven hits, but ran seven.
Other games
The first day of the first day of Super Round Play produced an exciting game, because the US and Japan were scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, when the Americans scored the first run of the game. Japan tied the match in the first place of the seventh and forced extra innings, when the hosts were plated five and the US kept to a single run to win, 6-2. Japan is now the only unbeaten nation on the World Cup under 18 baseball, while South Korea moved a draw for second place in the other evening match, jumps to a 4-0 lead in the first against Taiwan and rolls to an 8-1 win.
In the other Super Round match, Caribbean-Buren Puerto Rico and Panamá had both excellent pitching versions, with the American territory that came out 3-1 in a closely played match. Similarly, the other placement round match was a thriller, in which Australia and Cuba both scored a few runs in the sixth before the Antileans the things ended in the ninth.
Day 7 schedule
Italy will put its winning series on the line against China, while Germany will have a very heavy test against Cuba, who should beat it to get the chance to finish the top of the group. South Africa and Australia will agree as the only two teams from the southern hemisphere at the U18 World Cup.
Placement group classification
Japan: 3-0
US: 2-1
South Korea: 2-1
Puerto Rico: 1-2
Taiwan: 1-2
Panama: 0-3
Group B classification
Cuba: 3-0
Italy: 2-1
Germany: 2-1
Australia: 1-2
China: 1-2
South Africa: 0-3
Box scores are available here [link]. See our other coverage of the World Cup under 18 baseball:
Sample
https://www.mister-baseball.com/2025-under-18-world-cup-day-7-two-straight-wins-for-italy/.
Day 1 results
https://www.mister-baseball.com/2025-under-18-world-cup-day-7-two-straight-wins-for-italy/.
Day 2 results
https://www.mister-baseball.com/2025-under-18-world-cup-day-7-two-straight-wins-for-italy/.
Day 3 results
https://www.mister-baseball.com/2025-under-18-world-cup-day-7-two-straight-wins-for-italy/.
Day 4 results
https://www.mister-baseball.com/2025-under-18-world-cup-day-7-two-straight-wins-for-italy/.
Day 5 results
https://www.mister-baseball.com/2025-under-18-world-cup-day-7-two-straight-wins-for-italy/.
Day 6 results
https://www.mister-baseball.com/2025-under-18-world-cup-day-7-two-straight-wins-for-italy/.
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