Italy stuns United States in WBC

The United States suffered one of the biggest upsets in World Baseball Classic history

HOUSTON, Tex. (KYMA) - The United States suffered one of the biggest upsets in World Baseball Classic history after falling 8-6 to Italy in its final pool-play game.

The loss dropped the United States to 3-1 in pool play and left its advancement hopes uncertain heading into the final games of the group stage.

Team USA had one last chance to extend the game in the ninth inning. With the tying run at the dish with two outs, Aaron Judge stepped to the plate representing the potential equalizer. However, Italian reliever Greg Weissert struck out the American captain to end the game and secure the upset victory.

Despite the win, Italy’s offense came from unexpected places. The top five hitters in the Italian lineup combined to go 0-for-22 at the plate, yet the team still managed to score eight runs against the U.S. pitching staff.

The result was a monumental win for Italy and significantly complicated the United States’ path to the knockout round. Team USA now must wait for the outcome of Italy’s matchup with Mexico or rely on a high-scoring game scenario that could allow the Americans to advance based on runs allowed.