"Canada made it out of pool play for the first time, while Cuba failed to move to the knockout round for the first time in WBC history. Cal Quantrill and Livan Moinelo each managed well, with just a sac fly giving Canada a 1-0 lead through four. An Abraham Toro homer off Yariel Rodriguez made it 2-0, but Cuba got a run back thanks to a leadoff walk and throwing error from Quantrill to set up an RBI groundout."
"The first five batters in this game all struck out. Then, the murders/homers began. Vinnie Pasquantino hit his first of the game in the second to give Italy a 1-0 lead. Jon Berti added one in the fourth. Italy then dribbled a three-run frame in the fifth thanks to a bunch of walks/singles, and a run-scoring bunt of all things. Pasquantino hit his second homer in the sixth, and his third in the eighth."
"Combined with Quantrill's five frames with a 5/1 K/BB ratio, Cuba's hopes were dashed. Meanwhile, Aaron Nola threw five innings of 5/1 K/BB ratio ball, so Italy pretty much cruised."
Three games concluded the WBC pool play phase, determining which teams advanced to the knockout round. Canada secured its first-ever pool play advancement by defeating Cuba 7-2, ending Cuba's streak of reaching the knockout round in every WBC. Italy overwhelmed Mexico 9-1 with dominant pitching from Aaron Nola and multiple home runs from Vinnie Pasquantino, who hit three homers in the game. The Dominican Republic defeated Venezuela 7-5 in a matchup between two previously-advanced teams, with the result affecting seeding and bragging rights. Strong pitching performances and timely hitting determined the outcomes across all three contests.
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