Welcome to this daily summary of the I WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup, giving you the latest news and key updates on the inaugural edition of this men's softball event.

PARANA, Argentina – Shota Onodera delivered a complete game-effort in Japan’s 2-0 victory against Venezuela in Group B, clinching a spot in the Super Round for the world No. 3 and Asian champions, along with Group A leaders Australia, on Day 4 of the WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup at the Nafaldo Cargnel Stadium and El Plumazo on Tuesday.

Twenty-two-year-old Onodera, who also pitched a complete game against Team WBSC on opening day, tossed 106 pitches in a 2-0 shutout against world No. 8 Venezuela with 10 strikeouts and three walks.

With the top three teams in each group advancing to the Super Round, Japan booked their spot with four wins from four games while Venezuela sit fourth in Group B with a 2:2 win:loss record with one day's play remaining in the Opening Round.

In other Group B games, Canada ended New Zealand’s winning streak with a 5-3 victory, with Mitchell McKay’s two RBIs proving valuable as the world No. 2 kept alive their Super Round chances.

While Ben-Arie Shrim’s solid performance on offence - two-for-two hitting, two RBIs and two runs - powered Israel to their first win of the tournament, a tight 6-5 victory over Team WBSC.

Meanwhile, in Group A, Australia booked their Super Round spot with their fourth win in as many games with Ryan King collecting four RBIs and Jack Besgrove pitching a complete game, including 10 strikeouts, in a 4-1 win over Mexico.

Hosts Argentina beat South Africa 6-1 in a win built on good offence from Juan Cruz Garolini and Alan Peker and which moved the world No. 1 to 2:2 for the tournament.

Czechia also beat Singapore 5-3, thanks to a two-run inside-the park-homer from Jakub Hajny, to also remain in Super Round contention with a 2:2 win:loss record.

Day 4 Games

·      Venezuela 0-2 Japan - Boxscore

·      Israel 6-5 Team WBSC - Boxscore

·      Mexico 1-4 Australia - Boxscore

·      Czechia 5-3 Singapore - Boxscore

·      Canada 5-3 New Zealand - Boxscore

·      Argentina 6-1 South Africa - Boxscore

Softball fans around the world can watch all the action on GameTime. A tournament pass for $9.99 (US dollars) will give subscribers access to all 50 games of the tournament, while six-game daily passes will be available for $5.99 each day.