Tokyo, Japan - Team Canada ran into control issues in its quarter-final match-up with Korea and a combination of 8 walks and 5 hit batsmen was too much for Canada to overcome, as they dropped a 7-4 decision and are now out of contention for a medal at the 2010 World University Baseball Championships in Japan.
Adam Reynolds (Guelph, ON) got the start for Canada and was uncharacteristically wild during his 4 2/3 innings of work. He walked 2 batters and hit 2 batters in the first inning, however Team Canada catcher, Greg Densem (Toronto, ON), threw out a would be base stealer to allow Canada to come out of the inning unscathed. Korea opened the scoring in the third inning with a double that scored one. Team Canada answered in the bottom of the fourth when DH Dan Welch (Victoria, BC) hit a towering homerun to left field to tie the game at one. With one out, Densem, SS Carter Bell (Courtenay, BC) and 2B Chad Marshall (Paris, ON) hit 3 consecutive singles to load the bases. After RF Blake Carruthers (Calgary, AB) struck out, CF Greg Wallace (Nanaimo, BC) delivered a two-run single to put Canada up 3-1. Korea responded in the top of the 5th as they scored 3 runs while only recording one hit and eventually chased Reynolds from the contest. Reynolds left with a 3-2 lead with one out and the bases loaded and gave way to David Walkling (Nanaimo, BC). Walkling's first pitch got by Densem to allow the tying run to score. He then recorded a big strikeout for the second out of the inning. The next Korean batter hit an infield chopper that the Canadian infielders could not get to, to score a run from third, but a heads up play by SS Bell nabbed the runner at second overrunning third base to end the inning with Korea up 4-3. Canada opened the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles by 3B Mark Ellis (Maple Ridge, BC) and 1B Ryan Fleming (Whitby, ON). Welch drove in Ellis with an RBI ground out to tie to the game 4-4. Korea once again responded with a run in the top of the sixth courtesy a lead-off walk, double and sac- fly. They added single runs in the seventh and eighth innings off reliever Brandon Kaye (Langley, BC) to stretch the lead to 7-4. Canada could not muster much offense in the final four innings, as the Korean reliever allowed only one base runner from the sixth inning on. Shawn Hetherington (Tsawwassen, BC) worked a scoreless ninth inning in relief for Canada.
When the dust settled, Canada outhit Korea 8-6, but the combination of walks and hit batters was too much for Canada to overcome. Canadian pitchers struck out 9 Korean hitters, while Korean pitchers recorded 12 strikeouts on the afternoon. Marshall led the offense with 2 hits and hit another ball hard to right field that the Korean right fielder made a great play on to save a sure double. Wallace, Ellis, Fleming, Welch, Densem and Bell recorded the other Canadian hits.
The line on Reynolds is as follows: 4 2/3 IP 4 R 3ER 2H 7BB 2HP 6K
Head Coach Todd Plaxton (Saskatoon, SK) summed up the last two games this way:
"When you give up 18 free bases in two games to good teams, it's very difficult to win those games. Couple that with 22 strikeouts by our hitters and it's not a recipe for success. We had high hopes of playing for a medal at this tournament, but now we have to regroup and come out tomorrow and play hard to assure ourselves a chance of playing for fifth place".
Canada will now face China in a game where the winner moves to the fifth place game and loser to the seventh place game. These final two games are important as they help to establish world rankings.
NOTES: This game took 3 hours and 40 minutes to play...It was played at KAIT stadium, one of the local university stadiums....The USA beat China 11-0 in the other quarter final played on Tuesday...Eric Brown (Thunder Bay, ON) will get the start for Canada on Wednesday vs. China...China is winless so far at the tournament.
