The Black Sox have blown a prime chance to claim a crucial win over reigning world champions Argentina at the Softball World Cup tonight in Auckland.
After building an impressive 5-1 lead heading into the final innings of regular play, the Black Sox couldn’t shut the door as the South Americans fought tooth and nail – and the odd elbow over home plate – to tie up the match before blowing the game wide open in extra innings to win 11-5.
The defending world champions were quick to put the pressure on the home side with Alan Peker hitting a solo homerun with the first pitch of the game off Kiwi ace Daniel Chapman.
However the Black Sox were quick to respond, putting behind yesterday’s 7-0 humbling loss to the USA with captain Cole Evans levelling the scores in the bottom of the first innings.
The Kiwis weren’t done with their first turn at bat though as Thomas Enoka sent his own ball over the fence to add another two runs, scoring his brother Ben who had walked earlier.
After plenty of fireworks to start, both Chapman and Argentina flamethrower Huemul Mata – considered one of if not the best pitcher in the world – settled in to their work on the mound and kept both explosive lineups quiet.
In fact, it wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth innings that another run was scored.
After Argentina had looked threating in the top of the innings but left two runs on base, the South Americans opted to sub out Mata for relief pitcher Roman Godoy.
The Black Sox pounced with Ben Enoka leading off the innings with a double down the right field before he was moved across to third by a Reilly Makea sacrifice bunt.
An error at shortstop off a hard hit ball from Thomas Enoka then allowed his brother to score and eventually he came home too off an RBI single by Beau Bishop.
With the lead now 5-1 heading into the top of the 7th innings, the Black Sox had a four-run lead to work with and just three outs needed to pick up their second win of the World Cup.
However, Argentina aren’t world champions for nothing.
With Pita Rona brought in to close out the game by coach Mark Sorenson, Argentina opened with two runners off a walk and hit-by-pitch before pinch hitter Gian Scialacomo delivered with a hit to left centre.
Rona recovered to get his first out of the innings with a strikeout after that, but another hit batter then saw Argentina load up the bases with just one down and three runs still needed.
Sorenson fired off at officials over Argentina’s ploys to get on base, arguing their players were leaning out to get hit by Rona when he threw an inside pitch which is illegal but the umpires shrugged him off and let play continue to the angst of the Kiwi crowd.
Again, Rona showed his composure to come back though, striking out the next batter to leave Argentina down to their last out for the game.
Enter Manuel Godoy.
The powerhouse first baseman fired a lazer into right field with speed on the base paths and managed to score all three runs on the hit, tying up the ball game and firing up his dugout in the process.
Rona collected another strikeout to finish the top of the seventh but the damage had been done with the score all tied up again and the Black Sox having to grab their sticks once more to chase a win.
Rhys Evans gave them their best chance to do it, leading off the bottom of the seventh with a triple to the delight of the Rosedale Park crowd but Argentina remained composed and got tactical to keep themselves afloat.
Argentina opted to intentionally walk the next two batters – leadoff hitter Tane Mumu and captain Evans – to load up the bags with none out.
The move meant the play was simple – challenge the batter to find a hole in their defence or else an out can be forced at home plate.
It was a bold call to make with the two walks bringing veteran Ben Enoka to the batter’s box but it worked to perfection with the Kiwi centrefielder grounding into a double play, leaving the Black Sox just one out and runners on two and three to snatch the win.
Another intentional walk saw the bases loaded again and Thomas Enoka put in the box for the big at-bat but he struck out swinging on a full count as a reintroduced Mata offered up a tempting rise ball for him to chase out of the zone.
That sent the game to extra innings and with it the tiebreaker rule which means teams start the innings with a runner on second base to give them more of a chance to break the deadlock.
Neither side could convert in the eighth innings with Argentina again using intentional walks to create force plays but the fireworks returned in the ninth innings, only this time the Rosedale faithful who had stayed late into the evening weren’t celebrating.
With Sorenson again making a pitching change and bringing in Josh Pettett for Rona, Argentina pounced and scored with their leadoff hitter as Mata helped out his own cause on the pitching mound with an RBI single up the middle of the diamond.
That sparked the world champions as they piled on another five runs – including a three-run homerun by Santiago Carril to left field – to blow the scoreline out to 11-5 in their favour.
The Kiwi bats were as quiet as the Auckland crowd in response as Mata closed out the game and with it secured his side a clear place at the top of Group A with a 3-0 record to date.
The loss leaves the Black Sox headed for must-win territory for the rest of pool play as the top three nations from their six-team group head through to the Super Round of the World Cup and the Kiwis currently sitting on a 1-2 record.
They return to the diamond tomorrow night against the Philippines at 7:30pm likely looking for a confidence-boosting win by a big margin with the Asian nation yet to find a win so far.
Final/9
Argentina 11 [Carril Santiago 1-3, HR, 3 RBI / Huemul Mata 7.2 IP, 15 Ks, 4 BB, 4 ER, W]
New Zealand 5 [Thomas Enoka 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R / Pita Rona 2.1 IP, 3 Ks, 1 BB, 5 ER, L]
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