Auckland, New Zealand: March 7 – It was just one half inning in an otherwise fine defensive performance by the GB Men's Fastpitch Team against the United States. But a nightmare bottom of the fifth, in which the US scored four runs on two walks, three errors and just one base hit was enough to stop GB's march to the World Championship playoffs in its tracks today in Auckland.
That one bad inning was enough to give the US a 4-1 win. The GB Team will probably finish ninth in the tournament standings, while the top eight teams from the two round-robin pools will advance to the playoffs.
Having lost their first three games in the Pool A round-robin, two of them by a total of three runs, and then having come back to take the next three games on the trot, the GB Team had put its playoff fate in its own hands.
But though Great Britain took the lead with a run in the top of the third inning, the offense basically went missing in action, as US starter Gerald Muizelaar held the GB Team to just two hits (both by right fielder Kenny Pregnell) while walking two and striking out 12.
James Darby was almost as effective for GB. Pitching his third game in three days, James held the Americans to only two singles, while walking three and striking out five. But two of those walks came at the start of the fateful bottom of the fifth inning, and errors in the GB infield did the rest.
GB Team Manager Steve Fullan said: “Three errors combined with walks will kill you against an experienced team like the USA. But I think we can be proud of our results against these world class teams. We only had two bad innings the whole week, and we were so close to pulling it off.”
Taking the lead
Neither team managed a hit over the first two innings, and the US had the only baserunners on a first inning walk and a second inning error. But in the top of the third inning, GB opened the scoring.
Left fielder Luke Peters started the inning by drawing a walk, and Kenny Pregnell singled. Steve Hazard struck out swinging, but US starter Gerald Muiselaar walked Ryan Martin on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases. Rich Haldane popped out to short for the second out, but Muiselaar hit third baseman Darrin Newson with the first pitch he threw him to force in a run.
GB was to have only two other baserunners the rest of the way. Pitcher James Darby reached on an error in the top of the sixth inning and Kenny Pregnell stroked his second base hit of the game with two out in the top of the seventh, but neither got beyond first base.
So the question was whether GB could make a 1-0 lead stand up.
Giving it up
They could – but only until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the wheels fell off the GB bus.
James Darby put the US on the front foot by walking the Americans' seventh and eighth place hitters, Dave Lohmann and Robert Rosthenhausler, to open up the inning. Then Todd Schultz put down a sacrifice bunt towards third base, and Darrin Newson elected to go for the force play at second. But his throw was poor, and now the US had the bases loaded with no one out and leadoff hitter Adam Lalonde at the plate.
Lalonde hit a bouncer to second base and Ryan Martin threw home to get the force out. But again the throw was poor and Jaime Garcia, pinch-running for Dave Lohmann, scored the tying run. The bases were still loaded, the GB defense was beginning to panic, and things were about to get worse.
Another error by Ryan Martin and a single by right fielder Chase Turner cleared the bases, and now the US had a 4-1 lead.
Finally, the defense tightened, as Matt Palazzo hit into a double play, Ryan Martin to Steve Hazard to Rich Haldane, and Joshua Johnson grounded out to Darrin Newson at third.
But the self-inflicted damage had been done and there was no way back for GB.
Scores
Results from the final day of round-robin play at the World Championships were:
USA 4, Great Britain 1
Venezuela 7, Indonesia 0
Argentina 1, Colombia 0
Samoa 8, South Africa 0
Canada 7, Netherlands 0
Australia 8, Czech Republic 2
Japan 13, Mexico 0
New Zealand 7, Philippines 0
Standings
The final round-robin standings (the top four teams in each pool go on to the playoffs) are:
Pool A
Australia (7-0)
Venezuela (5-2)
Samoa (4-3)
USA (4-3)
Great Britain (3-4)
Czech Republic (3-4)
South Africa (2-5)
Indonesia (0-7)
Pool B
Argentina (6-1)
Canada (6-1)
New Zealand (6-1)
Japan (5-2)
Colombia (3-4)
Mexico (2-5)
Netherlands (1-6)
Philippines (0-7)
Playoffs
The Double Page Playoff that decides ISF World Championships will begin tomorrow with four games.
In the 3 v 4 games, Samoa will play Japan at 11.00 pm tonight UK time (12 noon tomorrow in New Zealand) and New Zealand will face the USA at 1.00 am Friday morning UK time. The losers in those games will be watching the rest of the tournament from the stands.
Then, in the 1 v 2 games, defending World Champions Australia will take on Canada at 4.30 am Friday morning UK time and Argentina will play Venezuela at 7.00 am in the UK. The losers from those games will play the winners from the 3 v 4 games on Saturday.
All playoff games will be web-streamed – go to www.softball2013.com for the links, and for the full playoff schedule.