GUAM DROPS TO 0-4 IN U15 WORLD CUP BASEBALL

By Jojo Santo Tomas

Team Guam gave it a valiant effort, and even held the lead twice against powerhouse Australia, but in the end fell 13-5 at the WBSC Oceania U-15 Men’s Baseball qualifier, held Saturday at the Dededo Sports Complex.

The victory over Guam, plus a later 17-2 win against the Northern Mariana Islands, kept Australia perfect at 4-0, while Guam fell to 0-4 in the triple-round robin tournament. The tournament winner advances to the World Championship next year.

Guam, which had beaten regional powerhouse New Zealand at this same tournament in 2021 and 2023, does not have the supporting record to do it again this time around Guam played Australia in the second of a daytime doubleheader. Earlier, the NMI squad improved to 2-1 with a 22-15 win over Guam, overcoming 12 errors with 14 hits to Guam’s eight. Australia overwhelmed NMI in four innings in the last game of the day.

Australia meanwhile out-hit Guam 13-5 and had fewer errors, three to Guam’s five, in a game that was close for all but the last two innings.

Guam started out well in the hunt from the opening inning. Guam chased starting pitcher Zavier Leigh in the first inning, and middle reliever Jack Bowden rescued the Aussies as Guam left three stranded.

Guam pitcher Marvin Jones gave up a two-out dinger to Archer Petersen to deep center but struck out the next batter to end the inning.

The Aussies tied the game in the bottom of the second, and after an uneventful third inning, Guam took a held a lead on a double by Matthew Delos Santos and RBI single by Ethan Gumataotao. Guam held the lead until Australia scored four runs in the fifth and six runs in the sixth to leave no doubt to the outcome.

The tournament continues Sunday, and Guam gets another shot at Australia at 11 a.m. Monday.

All games are at the Dededo Sports Complex.

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