From the USA Softball website:

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Canada — The USA Softball Men’s Fast Pitch National Team fell one game short of a medal as they lost 7-3 to New Zealand at the ISF World Men’s Championship in Saskatoon, Canada, on Saturday night.

New Zealand scored two runs in the top of the second but the USA answered in the bottom half on a Chase Turner (Stockton, Calif.) double, a walk to Adam Lalonde (Ashland, Ky.), a Kiwi throwing error and Kyle Magnusson’s (Minot, N.D.) base hit.

The Kiwis put a five spot on the board in the fourth with four hits, a walk, an error and a hit batter. The score remained 7-2 until the bottom of the seventh when the USA scored on singles by Steve Pinocchio (Jamestown, Calif.), Landy Rodriquez (West Haverstraw, N.J.) and Matt Palazzo (Des Moines, Iowa). But the rally fell short as two runners were left on after a strikeout and fly out ended the game.

Paul Koert (Brooklin, Ontario) started on the mound, giving up all seven runs (six earned) in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out three, walked two and hit one batter. Travis Price (Corona, Calif.) relieved in the fourth inning and gave up just one hit the rest of the way, striking out two and walking one.

Team USA out hit New Zealand 8-7 but left eight runners on base to five for the Kiwis. Pinocchio led the USA with two hits. New Zealand committed two errors and the USA made one.

Head coach Pete Turner (Stockton, Calif.) applauded the effort of his players, as New Zealand had beaten the USA 15-0 in the first game of the tournament.

“We played much better this time around but still made some mistakes,” he said. “You can’t do that against the three-time defending world champions and expect to come out on top. I’m proud of our team and the guts they showed this week. We’ve got a really good core group of guys to build this team around.”

With the loss the USA finished with a 7-3 record and fourth place finish among the 16 teams entered. New Zealand moves on to face Canada in the bronze medal game, with the winner taking on Australia for gold Sunday afternoon

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