By Bob Fromer
Tuesday 30 June – The GB Men’s Fastpitch Team posted their first win on the field at the 14th WBSC Men’s World Championships in Saskatoon, Canada on Monday afternoon 29 June, shutting out Guatemala 4-0.
The team’s previous win, as they evened their record in the competition to 2-2, was the forfeit against Indonesia, a late withdrawal from the tournament.
Kyle Linton pitched the first four innings in a game in which haze from nearby bush fires hung over the Bob Van Impe Stadium, giving up four singles and two walks while striking out six, and Rich Haldane gave up just one hit over the final three innings, striking out four.
Linton did have to pitch out of one jam that was mostly of his own making in the bottom of the fourth inning, the only time the Guatemalans seriously threatened. With two outs and no one on, Juan Orellana singled up the middle, and Linton walked the next two hitters to load the bases. But shortstop Mario Hernandez struck out swinging on a 2-2 pitch, and only one other Guatemalan reached base over the rest of the game.
Offense
Meanwhile, in the top of the second and third innings, the GB offense finally delivered some key hits with runners on base, something that had been missing in the previous games against New Zealand and the Czech Republic.
In the top of the second, Rich Haldane drew a walk to lead off the inning and James Darby followed with a single between third and short, Haldane stopping at second. But both runners remained where they were as Guatemalan starter Cesar Sajche struck out Darrin Newson and Nopera Stockford. It remained to Kenny Pregnell, who started the game as the Designated Player and later moved to first base, to deliver the big blow. Kenny hit a long drive to centre field that just missed clearing the fence. By the time the Guatemalan outfield retrieved the ball, both runs had scored and Kenny was on third.
That made the score 2-0 to GB, and the British doubled that margin in the top of the third. This time, there were two outs and no one on when the rally started. Kevin Stockford walked on a 3-2 count and Rich Haldane hit a line drive to right field that Luis Folgar dived for but missed. That allowed Stockford time to come all the way around from first to score, with Haldane taking second.
At that point, Guatemala replaced Cesar Sajche with another right-hander, Jorge Segura, but James Darby greeted Segura with a hard shot to third base that caromed off third baseman Juan Orellano and into left field, scoring Haldane.
After that, GB had the odd baserunner on a couple of walks, an error and a hit-by-pitch, though no further hits or serious scoring chances. But GB pitching made that 4-0 lead stand up to put the win on the board and move up to fifth place in the Pool A standings, just one place off a playoff spot.
Upsets
GB will play the Philippines on Tuesday, and assuming GB prevails (the Philippines are 1-3, but the win was their forfeit from Indonesia), the British will probably have to look for another win against either Canada on Wednesday or Argentina on Thursday to reach the playoffs.
But that may be more possible than previously assumed, as the competition has suddenly seen a bunch of upsets.
The fact that defending champions New Zealand have already lost twice – to Argentina last Friday and to Canada on Sunday – was the first shock. But on Monday, the Czech Republic beat previously undefeated Argentina by 4-2 in Pool A, and in Pool B, the Dominican Republic handed Australia its first loss of the competition by a score of 5-3.
So you never know – or, as the old cliché has it, “that’s why they play the games”.
Scores
Results over the first four days of the tournament are:
MONDAY POOL A
Czech Republic 4, Argentina 2
Canada 7, Indonesia 0 (forfeit)
Great Britain 4, Guatemala 0
New Zealand 9, Philippines 2
MONDAY POOL B
USA 4, Netherlands 1
Mexico 6, Denmark 2
Dominican Republic 5, Australia 3
Venezuela 3, Japan 0
SUNDAY POOL A
Guatemala 4, Philippines 0
Czech Republic 4, GB 2
Argentina 7, Indonesia 0 (forfeit)
Canada 2, New Zealand 1
SUNDAY POOL B
Denmark 2, Netherlands 0
Dominican Republic 4, Mexico 3
Japan 5, USA 4
Australia 5, Venezuela 1
SATURDAY POOL A
Philippines 7, Indonesia 0 (forfeit)
Argentina 7, Guatemala 0
Canada 10, Czech Republic 2
New Zealand 9, GB 1
SATURDAY POOL B
USA 6, Dominican Republic 4
Japan 5, Denmark 2
Australia 8, Netherlands 0
Venezuela 6, Mexico 1
FRIDAY POOL A
Czech Republic 12, Philippines 5
GB 7, Indonesia 0 (forfeit)
Canada 6, Guatemala 0
Argentina 3, New Zealand 2
FRIDAY POOL B
Dominican Republic 8, Denmark 1
Venezuela 11, Netherlands 1
Australia 1, Japan 0
USA 7, Mexico 0
Standings
Standings after Monday’s schedule are:
POOL A
Canada (4-0)
Czech Republic (3-1)
Argentina (3-1)
New Zealand (2-2)
Great Britain (2-2)
Guatemala (1-3)
Philippines (1-3)
Indonesia (0-4) (withdrawn from the tournament)
POOL B
Australia (3-1)
USA (3-1)
Venezuela (3-1)
Dominican Republic (3-1)
Japan (2-2)
Denmark (2-2)
Netherlands (0-4)
Mexico (0-4)