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 – World No. 4 Australia topped the podium of the inaugural WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup with a 1-0 win over World No. 3 Japan thanks to a Jack Besgrove pitching masterpiece and Jeremy Waters’ hit in top of the seventh in a thrilling final on Sunday. World No. 1 Argentina also turned in a winning performance that delighted the home fans at Nafaldo Cargnel Stadium, as the hosts logged a 10-1 victory over World No. 10 Mexico in the bronze medal playoff.

Besgrove was named MVP of the tournament with 82 strikeouts in 48 innings of work in the circle, giving up only 19 hits and eight earned runs, leading the All-World Team composed of his compatriots Riley James and Ryan King, Argentina’s Juan Jose Pepe, Canada’s Mitchell McKay, Japan’s Tomoki Kikukawa and Koki Sato, New Zealand’s Brock Attewell and Brock Evans, Team WBSC’s Nery Del Cid and Mexico’s Jordan Solorio.

“Jack is one of the most amazing athletes I’ve ever seen. He’s a workhorse. What makes him special is he’s a team player,” Australia head coach David Metekingi said about his ace pitcher, who also lead Australia to the senior men's title in New Zealand in December last year.

In the gold medal game - which was a repeat of the WBSC U-18 Men's Softball World Cup finals won by Australia in 2018 (including a homer by Waters) and Japan in 2020 - Besgrove held Japan scoreless in seven innings with 11 strikeouts, while allowing only four hits and a walk. Shannon Goffer put Australia in the lead 1-0 in the top of the seventh, as he scored the winning run off Waters' single to left field.

Riley James and Matt Harrow are now triple World Cup winners, having been part of the 2018 U-18 Men's World Cup and 2022 Open Men’s World Cup Australian teams and Australia has now claimed eight Men’s Softball World Cup titles and their 13th overall medal. The silver medal represents Japan's seventh Men’s Softball World Cup silver and 15th medal overall.

Meanwhile, Lucio Retamar drove in three runs and Juan Platner two, and Juan Jose Pepe had 5.1 innings of relief work that allowed four hits, one run with two strikeouts in Argentina's 10-1 defeat of Mexico, clinching the WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup bronze medal - their first ever Softball World Cup bronze and fourth overall medal.

With Australia, Japan, Argentina and Mexico occupying the first four places in the final standings after the medal games, Canada and New Zealand placed fifth and sixth after the Super Round. Czechia topped the Placement Round to finish in seventh, followed by Venezuela, Singapore, Israel, Team WBSC and South Africa in eighth to 12th positions, respectively.

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Day 9 Games

Gold medal game

·      Australia 1-0 Japan - Boxscore



Bronze medal game

·      Argentina 10-1 Mexico - Boxscore