Despite subjecting team USA to a rather embarassing defeat in their head-to-head matchup, it looks like any hope Canada might have had of advancing is vanishing about as fast as you can say “mercy.” The USA has gotten off to a fast 10-0 lead in the first two innings over South Africa. [It ended, 17-0, called after five.]
It’s hard to say that the Canadian team deserved to advance when it nearly lost to the South African (mostly amateur) squad, nearly blew its 8-0 lead to the USA, and got humiliated by Mexico, 9-1.
Still, I would have thought going in that the Canadian team was stronger than Mexico. It’s too short a series to say that it disconfirmed the expectation, but Mexico played (and especially pitched) a lot better, even holding the USA lineup to only two runs.
Mexico will be the number one seed (and USA number two, barring a dramatic comeback by South Africa), which is a little surprising, but again, it’s too few games to draw much from. That’s why they play the games on the field, and not on paper or on computers.
Fruits and Votes 