The USA and Dominican Republic men’s fastball teams will get the honors of opening the men’s fastball competition at the 2015 Pan American games in Toronto Canada.
Live stats will be available throughout the Pan American Games and fans at home can follow along with recaps and more at ASAUSASoftball.com.
The two teams faced each other two weeks ago in the 2015 WBSC Men’s Softball World Championships in Saskatoon Canada with the USA coming away the winner by a 6 to 4 score. The USA’s Josh Johnson hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning to overcome a 4-3 deficit. The win was the biggest win of the WBSC World Championships for the USA, and the only loss for the surprising Dominican Republic squad during the round-robin portion of the tournament. The USA later fell to Japan and Venezuela, and failed to make the playoff round, while the Dominican Republic squad knocked off the 2013 silver and bronze medalist, Australia and Venezuela respectively and enter the playoff round is the top seed in Pool B. The USA won the WBSC consolation round, finishing ninth overall while the Dominican Republic finished 7th. The Dominican Republic had a tough draw in the playoff round, facing the eventual silver and bronze medalists, New Zealand and Venezuela respectively, dropping both contests, finishing in sixth place overall.
Click here for the box score from their WBSC clash:
Game Date: 06/27/2015
United States 6 AT Dominican Republic 4
In their WBSC matchup, the USA started veteran Gerald Muizellar, who surrendered all four runs, with Tony Mancha coming on in relief to pick up the win. The Dominican Republic started their ace, the hard throwing Yennier Volquez, relieved by changeup artist Manuel Batista. It was a Batista change-up that Josh Johnson hit out of the park for the game-winner.
The Dominican Republic is led by a trio of North American coaches, head coach Frankie Perez of Erie Pennsylvania, Paul “Chico” McCart and Doug Charlton of Ontario Canada. Charlton as already made great strides with the pitching staff, with Volquez among the outstanding pictures in Saskatoon at the world championships. The squad plays great defense and a very aggressive style offense. Twice during the world championships, the Dominican Republic successfully executed suicide squeeze bunts, something to keep an eye out for today against the USA.
Editors pick: Toss up, with slight edge to the USA, having something to prove after failing to make the playoff round of 8 in Saskatoon. Biggest question going into the game is whether Dominican Republic skipper Frankie Perez starts hard throwing ace Yennier Volquez, or opts for the changeup artist Batista against a strong hitting USA squad. It was Batista who suffer the loss on the Josh Johnson homerun at Saskatoon.
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