New Zealand to host top Men’s Softball National Teams in Challenge Cup

Post date: Feb 13, 2017 4:16:1 AM

ALBANY, New Zealand – World No. 1 New Zealand will host five top men’s softball national teams in the WBSC-sanctioned 2017 Softball Challenge Cup in February.

The AWF Stadium at Rosedale Park will welcome the New Zealand Black Sox in an international softball challenge series against No. 2 Japan, No. 3 Argentina, No. 5 Australia, No. 8 Czech Republic, and No. 12 Samoa from 8-12 February.

The teams, who are preparing for the 2017 WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship to be held in the Yukon in July, will be vying for honours in a series of back-to-back games played over five days.

The tournament format will feature a double round robin to seed the teams. The first place team after double round robin will then advance straight through to the final; while seeds two and three will face off with the winner advancing to the final. The remaining teams will play to determine placings.

Tickets to the Challenge Cup event are available from the ticketing website iticket.co.nz.

SCHEDULE / SCORES

Wednesday, 8 February

Argentina 4 : Japan 6

Australia 12 : Samoa 3

New Zealand 10 : Japan 5

Czech Republic 0 : Argentina 4

Australia 2 : Argentina 9

New Zealand 11 : Samoa 1

Czech Republic 2 : Japan 3

Thursday, 9 February

Australia 8 : Czech Republic 1

Japan 7 : Samoa 0

New Zealand 10 : Argentina 1

New Zealand 7 : Czech Republic 0

Australia 1 : Japan 0

Argentina 6 : Samoa 0

Australia 1 : New Zealand 8

Samoa 6 : Czech Republic 5

Friday, 10 February

Australia 4 : Samoa 2

Argentina 2 : Japan 1

New Zealand 10 : Samoa 3

Czech Republic 0 : Japan 5

Australia 3 : Argentina 6

New Zealand 1 : Japan 2

Argentina 8 : Czech Republic 6

Saturday, 11 February

10:00: Samoa vs. Czech Republic

12:30: New Zealand vs. Czech Republic

12:30: Australia vs. Japan

15:00: New Zealand vs. Australia

15:00: Samoa vs. Argentina

17:30: Samoa vs. Japan

20:00: New Zealand vs. Argentina

20:00: Australia vs. Czech Republic

Sunday, 12 February

10:00: A1 #2 vs. #3, Loser places 3rd

10:00: B1 #5 vs. #6, Loser places 6th

12:30: C1 Exhibition Games U-15 Men

12:30: D1 #4 vs. Winner B1

14:30: Final Winner A1 vs. #1