Day 3

Canada 6  v. Mexico 0

Canada continued their game-by-game approach to the 2013 Tradestaff world softball championships as the side notched up their third win from as many games at the tournament at Rosedale Park in Auckland.
The side, which on the opening night of the tournament, were given a wake-up call when they had to come from behind to topple Argentina had no repeat of that performance against another South American side.
From the first inning they had the edge with Bryan Abrey opening the run account. However, that account was not added to until the sixth when Steve Mullaley scored the first of his two runs in the game and then in the seventh the Canadians put the result beyond Mexico with Ryan Boland, Andy Skelton, Jason Sanford and Mullaley scoring.

South Africa 5 v. United States 3

It may have come at a personal cost, but the reward for the South African softball team came in the form of a 5-3 upset win over the United States.
“That has to be our biggest win for a long time,” South African assistant coach Paul Whitfield said.
 
“We have been battling because we don’t get to play a lot of international matches.
 
“To come over here, pay our own way and to get a result like that it is unbelievable.
 
Both sides had their backs to the wall having lost their previous two games and for South Africa they could not have hoped for a better start as lead-off batter Renier Viljoen bounced the first pitch of the game clean over the centre-right field fence.
However, that advantage was short lived and with two out South African hurler Richard Claassen was unable to keep the heat on and Matt Palazzo and Joshua Johnson made the African nation pay. Palazzo also bounced the ball clean over the centre-right field fence for the first of his two such runs, Johnson bounced the ball over centrefield for an automatic two base hit. He then came home for the go-ahead run on a Derrick Zechman hit.
In the third inning South Africa first baseman Analadi Phamolo gets the equaliser. Then in the fifth and again with two outs the Africans make the USA pay with pitcher Gerard Mulzelaar first hitting Mark Olivier and then Duncan Smail. With those two on base replacement pitcher Grant Olivier delivers the ball over the outfield fence for his side to jump out to a 5-2 lead.
The USA did pull one run back in the seventh with Palazzo picking up his second home run hit of the game.
Claassen, who played for the Royals and Cardinals teams in the early 2000s, was delighted with the outcome.
“We were gutted about the first two games and some self belief brought us back.”
Going into the game the message to players had been a simple one.
“Just believe, and believe in yourself and trust the skill,” Claassen said.
“It is one we have been working toward and was a game we really wanted to win.
“We are very excited.”
 

Samoa 11 vs Indonesia 10

The saying it is never over until the fat lady sings and for the Samoan softball team if that could be applied to the game then it had to be this one.
The side looked to have its third consecutive win at the TradeStaff world championship in the bag with one more out needed to end the game in the regulation seventh inning when the nightmare began.
 

Australia 7 vs. Great Britain 0

Australia showed it was a class above its section opponents as they powered to a 7-0 win in five innings.
However, the current world champions were helped by some wayward pitching from Richard Haldane, who conceded five walks.

Colombia 6 vs. Netherlands 1

Colombia picked up their first win of the tournament, and in style with the side scoring four runs in the first inning to have the Czech Republic on the back foot.
The chief destroyer for the Columbia side was Gary Parrejo Pacheco, who collected two hits from his four turns at bat.
The Netherland’s sole run was scored in the fourth inning through Enrique Javier.

New Zealand 7 vs. Japan 2

Test one and it is thumbs up for the Black Sox after they toppled Japan 7-2 in the first of three tough games at the 2013 Tradestaff World Softball Championships.
“To score a bunch of runs like we did against a quality side is pleasing,” Black Sox coach Eddie Kohlhase said.
 
Also pleasing was the performance of the pitching staff with Kohlhase forced to use three pitchers after starting hurler Nik Hayes was dragged in the second inning after he had hit back to back batters,  then cramp forced Heinie Shannon out of the game after he faced just three batters and that opened the door to Jeremy Manley.
 
“I thought Patrick did well to keep his pitchers composed, as we have said all along it is a battery team,” Kohlhase said.
 
“That was a step up. We still have to work hard and be smart on how we use our resources.”
 
Manley, who finished the game with four strikeouts next to his name and conceded just one hit could also be happy with his performance and in the dugout the instructions to the non-starters us a simple one.
 
“Just be ready, that is the instruction given. Everyone on deck,” Manley said.
“We have each others backs.”
“I just have to hit a few more of the spots for Paddy [Black Sox catcher, Patrick Shannon].
“Paddy is getting older.”
 
Conceding their first run of the tournament in the second inning that advantage did not last long
with Ben Enoka and Jarrad Martin both scored when Thomas Makea bounced the ball over the outfield fence. Makea then came home on a Tyron Bartorillo hit.
 
It was then Nathan Nukunuku, called into the team as cover for Rhys Casley, who broke the hearts of some of the Japanese team. His hit clearing the centre right field fence.
 
“I wasn’t trying to put it out of the park, I just wanted to hit it as hard as I could,” Nukunuku said.
 
Nukunuku was not the only Black Sox player to have a hit clear the outfield fence with Brad Rona repeating the feat in the fifth inning to take the side out to a 7-2 advantage.
 

Venezuela 7  vs Czech Republic 0

Venezuela made sure the Czech Republic were on the back foot from the opening inning with Franklin Gonzalez opening the scoring account in the first inning.
The side then doubled their score in the fourth with Herwins Querales on as the pinch runner scoring and then in the fifth the game was put beyond doubt and helped by back-to-back home runs from Edwin Linares and Rafael Flores.
On the mound for the South Americans, Erick Urbanga had an outstanding game.. He gave up just four hits and took six strikeouts.