Black Sox Remain Undefeated At World Cup Qualifier - Sent On Behalf Of Softball New Zealand

PRINCE ALBERT, SASKATCHEWAN (Saturday, July 13) - The New Zealand Black Sox have guaranteed themselves a place in the knockout round at the WBSC Softball World Cup Group B qualifier in Canada.

The world No 10 Black Sox improved to 3-0 at the six-nation tournament with a 5-1 win over the host country at Prime Ministers' Park in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on Friday (Saturday NZ Time).

After victories over Singapore and Israel on the first two days at Rotary Field, New Zealand finally conceded a run in the bottom of the seventh inning against Canada. Thomas Makea's pitchers had gone 17 innings without allowing a run.

The Black Sox have put themselves in a good position to finish in the top-two during the round-robin phase, which would earn two chances to qualify directly for the 2025 WBSC Softball World Cup Finals.

New Zealand face a double-header on Saturday against world No 1, and also undefeated Argentina (7am Sunday NZT) and Hong Kong, ranked 24th in the world, (10am Sunday NZT).

Winning pitcher Pita Rona struck out six batters, while issuing just one walk, in five scoreless innings of work, before Liam Potts and Daniel Chapman came out of the bullpen to finish off the understrength Canadians.

Captain Cole Evans went 1-for-3 at the plate, driving in two runs, while lead-off hitter Ben Enoka drew three walks. Centre-fielder Enoka, first baseman Tyron Bartorillo and catcher Beau Bishop also recorded RBIs.

Veteran Bartorillo got the scoring started with a second-inning home run to left-centre, while Bishop doubled the lead in the fifth inning with a first-pitch no-doubter way over the bleachers in centre-field.

After left-fielder Thomas Enoka safely reached base in the sixth inning, short stop Evans drove a 1-1 pitch over the centre-field fence, his second home run of the tournament, as New Zealand went up 4-0.

The Black Sox added an insurance run in the seventh inning, with pinch-hitter Hohepa Monk singling to left-field, before Ben Enoka scored him all the way from first with a double up the middle.

https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2024-xviii-mens-softball-world-cup-group-b/home

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