An update from our roving reporter and photographer in Prague, Bernie Lopez, at 12noon California time (nighttime in Prague):

Unfortunately, the Czech skies decided to pour down on the softball fields so a few games were cancelled. I personally left the field an hour ago, and unless it gets real hot in a hurry and the field crews can perform miracles, the much anticipated 8 P.M. match up between Venezuela vs Japan will have to wait. Team USA is still playing, as far as I know, at a field about 75 miles away. No news on weather there.

And here is the official word now, from Softball/CZ:

The rest of thursday schedule was cancelled at 7:00pm by Technical Committee decision because of bad weather conditions. Thursday evening games were moved to Saturday June 23rd. See SCHEDULE

(Home Run Club: Omar Moraga, Tim Hunt and Frank De Groat, Jr.- his 3rd)
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(18 yr old BJ Hunhoff notches win, big games for the Miller boys, Blake (3-5, 5 RBI and Daryn, 3-5)

From USA Softball:

USA Men Push Record to 4-0 With Easy Win Over Spain

PRAGUE, CZ – The USA Softball Men’s National Team won its fourth game in a row and second run-rule in the ISF Men’s World Cup, routing Halcones Tenerife of Spain, 21-2, in five innings Wednesday morning. It was the third loss in as many games for Halcones Tenerife.

Left-hander B.J. Hunhoff (Harrisburg, SD), the youngest player on the USA team at just 18, made his first start in the pitching circle and allowed just two runs on three hits to collect his first win. He gave up a solo homer in the second inning to Oropeza Merentes over the right center field fence with one out and an RBI single in the third inning by Pena Garcia, scoring Arteaga Matei who had walked to open the inning and went to second on a wild pitch. Hunhoff fanned five batters and walked only one.

The USA scored once in the second inning on a solo homer by catcher Frank DeGroat, Jr., (Ringwood, N.J.) off losing pitcher Escalona Zambrano, who was rocked for 18 hits, including 11 hits in a 14-run fifth inning.

The homer was DeGroat’s third of the World Cup and leads the USA team. DeGroat’s homer was the first of three launched by the USA in the game. Omara Moraga (Agoura Hills, Calif.) hit a solo homer and Tim Hunt (LaHabra, Calif.) also contributed a two-run round-tripper in the 14-run fifth inning.

Daryn Miller (Creve Coeur, Ill.) had three singles in five trips to the plate, driving in three runs, while Blake Miller (Albany, Ga.) drove in five runs with a double and two singles in five at-bats. Hunt also had a pair of singles to go along with his homer to lead the USA offensive attack.

The Red, White and Blue will look to keep their unbeaten streak alive as they take on Santa Isabel Zaragoza of Spain later today.

From USA Softball

Miller’s Homer Propels USA Softball to Third Straight Win in ISF Men’s World Cup

HR for Blake Miller, Win for Sonny Perkins

PRAGUE, CZ—Blake Miller (Albany, Ga.), one of the smallest players on the USA Softball Men’s National Team at 5’10” and 165 pounds, came up with one of the biggest hits so far in the ISF World Cup Tuesday night in a 4-1 win over Japan, who is ranked fifth in the world.

With the teams scoreless after one inning, Miller hit an opposite field two-run homer to right center to give the USA an early 2-0 lead. Miller’s homer—his first and the fifth for the USA in three games—came off losing pitcher Tatsuya Hamaguchi.

“The ball was a dipper (drop ball),” Miller said. “It was a great pitch to hit and I was glad that I could give us an early lead.”

After Miller’s homer, which had Nate Devine (Merced, Calif.) aboard after reaching on a fielder’s choice, Japan cut the margin in half by scoring a run in the bottom of the second inning. Ryuji Hazeyama tripled to the left field corner to open the inning and scored on a fielder’s choice by Shubei Suzuki. It was the only run allowed by USA starter and winning pitcher Sonny Perkins (St. Michaels, Ariz.) who allowed only five hits in his first start at the World Cup. He fanned four and walked three.

The USA added to its lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Chris DeLarwelle (Appleton, Wisc.) that scored Lucas Goring (St. Paul, Minn.), who reached on a bunt to lead off the inning and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Chris Miljavac (St. Joseph, Mo.).

An exclamation point was added in the sixth inning after Devine led off with a monster home run that cleared the trees in left field that gave the U.S. a comfortable 4-1 advantage.

Goring had a pair of singles in three at-bats to lead the USA six-hit attack.

Now 3-0, the USA will play two club teams from Spain on Wednesday, Halcones Tenerife and Santa Isabel Zaragoza.

Our roving photographer/reporter had this to say about the game:

Team USA beat Japan 4- 1 but had to earn every bit of it. Sonny Perkins picked up the win rearing back and absolutely blowing fastballs past the Japanese slap hitters when it counted most. The Japanese pitchers were no slouches but our hitters were just a bit better tonight. And their third baseman made quite possibly one of the best plays ever made on a perfectly bunted ball by a Team USA batter. The crowd seemed very appreciative getting the chance to watch some World Class fastpitch on a very warm Prague evening.

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From USA Softball

June 19, 2007

USA Softball Come From Behind to Take Down Denmark, 9-4

HR’s for Frank DeGroat Jr. and Omar Moraga, Win for Travis Price

PRAGUE, CZ –Trailing 3-0, the USA Softball Men’s National Team came storming back to register a 9-4 decision over Denmark (1-1) Tuesday morning (June 19th) to remain undefeated in the ISF World Cup.

The USA, which meets Japan in a late game Tuesday evening, fell behind when Denmark scored on an RBI single by Rasmus Sorensen in the first inning, a solo homer by Jesper Panduro in the second inning and a passed ball in the third inning against USA starter Cody Thomson (Salt Lake City, Utah). But the USA cut the margin to a lone run with a pair of solo homers by Omar Moraga (Agoura Hills, Calif.) and Frank DeGroat, Jr., (Ringwood, N.J.) off losing pitcher Kim Hansen in the fourth inning. Hansen was rocked for four runs and seven hits in four and one-third innings.

DeGroat’s homer was his second of the competition and landed in the trees over the fence in left center. Moraga’s homer was his first of the competition and went over the right field fence.

The USA then took command of the game for good, scoring six runs on five hits in the fifth inning. Daryn Miller (Creve Coeur, Ill.) had two RBI, Moraga, Matt Palazzo (Des Moines, Iowa) and Chris DeLarwelle (Appleton, Wisc.) all had one RBI for the USA in the inning. Miller scored the final USA run in the seventh inning on an RBI single by catcher Adam LaLonde (Cheboygan, Mich.), who played an outstanding game on defense either throwing out or picking off four Danish base runners. Omar Moraga was 3-for-4 with two RBI and is hitting .667 for the tournament.

USA starter Thomson hurled 2 2/3 innings with B.J. Hunhoff (Harrisburg, SD), the youngest player on the USA team, hurling 1 1/3 innings and Travis Price (Santa Ana, CA) getting his second win in as many games hurling 3 2/3 innings. The USA collected 12 hits while Denmark had eight.

The USA National Men’s Team is moves to 2-0 in the ISF World Cup in Prague, CZ, and is set to face Japan, who finished fifth at the last ISF Men’s World Championship, at 8:00 p.m. (1:00 pm CST) on Tuesday, June 19. Denmark dropped to 1-1.

For additional information or interviews with players on the USA Softball Men’s National Team contact Bill Plummer at 202 352 2629.

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