Canada's Sean Cleary pitched three innings and earned seven strikeouts in Canada's 4-3 win over the Dominican Republic. (Facebook/WBSC)

By Nick Nielsen

WBSC World Cup Day 4

Canada wins in pitching battle against Dominican Republic

Jul 12, 2025 | 8:21 AM

With the opening round of the tournament completed, Canada played their first placement round game on Friday against the Dominican Republic. The lead traded hands back and forth, but Canada came away with the win 4-3.

It looked like Canada was poised to run away with the game the way first inning went. Starting pitcher Devon McCullough gave up a walk before retiring the next three batters, bringing Canada’s offense to the plate.

In the bottom of the first, Nick White opened with a double, and Bryan Abrey battled to earn a walk on the next at bat. Blake Hunter then came to the plate, and he’d hit a single to score White, and Ty Sebastian would hit a fly ball that was caught in right field to score Abrey.

Still in the bottom of the first, the Canadians would put runners on the corners with two outs, but the Dominican Republic would switch pitchers from Michael Batista to Suriel Fernandez, and he’d earn a strikeout on three pitches to hold the damage from Canada to 2-0.

After a scoreless second inning, the Dominican Republic took the lead in the top of the third. With one out, Jose Reyes doubled to centre to get on base, and Jendry Torres tied the game with the next hit with a two run home run to left field. Still with one out, Luis Hiciano reached base on a single. Juan Arias would hit a single to score Hiciano, and the Dominican defence would keep Canada off the board to give the Dominican Republic the 3-2 lead.

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The pitching battle continued with McCullough giving up five hits, three earned runs, and earning five strikeouts in four innings for Canada, and Sean Cleary took over on the mound in the fifth. Still 3-2 for the Dominican heading into the bottom of the fifth, Nick White lead the inning off with a walk, and a double from Bryan Abrey put both runners in scoring position.

With the tying run White and the go ahead run Abrey on third and second base respectively, the Dominican switched pitchers to Yan Gonzalez. Blake Hunter hit a sacrifice bunt to score White and tie the game, and Ty Sebastian hit his second sacrifice fly to score Abrey, giving Canada the 4-3 lead. Canada would battle to get the bases loaded, but they’d be left stranded.

Cleary struck out three straight batters in the top of the sixth inning, and the Dominican would bring back starting pitcher Michael Batista for the sixth. He’d give up a walk, but the runner would get picked off stealing second and he’d earn two strikeouts to end the inning.

In the final inning, Cleary struckout the first batter and earned a flyout, but with two outs Jendry Torres hit a single up the middle. Torres would steal second to get into scoring position, but Canada’s pitcher Cleary would earn his seventh strikeout in three innings pitched to secure the 4-3 win for Canada.

Cleary earned the win for Canada without giving up a run or a walk in his three innings pitched, and allowing just two hits.

Canada plays in the 2:30 game on Saturday against the Australians.

New Zealand and Japan earn big wins in start of Super Round, Australia edges out Argentina

In the other placement round game, the Australians took on the Argentinians. The first inning saw Argentina get out to an early lead when Khalil Luna hit a run scoring single to centre, and both Federico Olheiser and Luna would score on a wild pitch to give Argentina an early 3-0 lead.

In the second inning however, Australia found their bats. Marshal Kronk hit a lead off solo home run, and Scott Patterson would follow that up with a two run home run. With one out, Ethan Field hit a third home run for Australia, giving them a 4-3 lead after the top of the second. Argentina would score a run in the bottom to tie it thanks to a single from Alan Peker.

Australia’s bats stayed hungry in the third. With one out and two men in scoring position, Ethan Field hit a single to centre field to score them both. Callum Beashel would hit a single with two outs, scoring Field from second to give the Australians a 7-4 lead.

The stayed scoreless from the fourth inning through the sixth, and the Argentinians did threaten to score in the bottom of six but Alan Peker was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs, and Ladislao Malarczuk would hit a ball that was caught in foul territory to end the inning. In the seventh, a solo home run from Federico Olheiser would give the Argentinians some life, but Australia shut the down the rest of the way to win 7-5.

On to the Super Round where the USA took on New Zealand in a thriller. The Americans had the lead late, but New Zealand completed the comeback with a walk off three home run to win 5-4.

Still scoreless in the top of the second inning, Yusef Davis Jr. hit a single to score a run for the USA in the top of the inning, but they’d leave two men stranded. In the bottom of the inning, New Zealand tied the game right away thanks to a lead off home run from Reilly Makea.

In the top of the third inning, the Americans loaded the bases with one out, and Tyler Johnson hit a single to centre to score them both. Then in the fourth inning, Erick Ochoa hit a solo home run to give the USA a 4-1 lead.

New Zealand left the bases loaded in the fourth and left two men on in the fifth, but couldn’t score. They’d add an important run in the sixth thanks to a leadoff double from Reilly Makea put himself in scoring position, and two batters later Seth Gibson hit a single to bring him home.

The Americans had runners on the base paths in the seventh, but New Zealand gave themselves a chance with a double play. In the bottom of the inning, Beau Bishop reached first on a single, and Rhys Evans would earn a walk. One out later and that set the table for Jerome Raemaki, and he took the first pitch he saw for a three run shot to end the game, final score 5-4 New Zealand.

In the final Super Round game of the day, Venezuela took on Japan. Both teams got their offence in early, but team Japan would win the pitching battle 5-1.

Rogelio Sequera put the first run of the game on the board for Venezuela off a single to left field, but they’d leave a man stranded and Japan’s Kaito Masaki would tie the game in the bottom of the first on a single of his own.

Neither team scored in the second although Venezuela left two men on the bases, but in the third Japan took the lead. With one out, Tei Hamamoto reached first on a single, then Koki Sato hit a two run home run to make it 3-1 Japan.

With one out in the fourth, Kanta Nishida hit a run scoring triple to centre field. Nishida was replaced on the base path by Seii Kuroiwa, and he’d steal home on a wild pitch to make it 5-1.

From there, Japan’s Hiroki Ideki pitched through five innings to earn the win with three hits, one earned run, and six strikeouts.