Panama
Great Britain
Photo: WBSC
Great Britain scored a tournament-high 11 runs, including five in the fifth inning, and both Charlie Collins and Jake Lambdin homered as Great Britain opened the Placement Round with a resounding 11-7 win over Panama at the 2026 WBSC U23 Baseball World Cup presented by RAXUS. With the win, and the victories carried over from the Opening Round, Great Britain takes a 3-0 record into their final two contests of the tournament, ensuring a best-ever World Cup finish for the programme.
Panama got on the scoreboard first with help from a GB miscue. With two out and runners on second and third, a grounder to Cole LeClair was mishandled allowing both runners to score. GBR starter Ollie Duthie came right back to get the final out, but Great Britain trailed in the first. Collins would cut the lead in half with a long home run over the scoreboard in right with one out, his second long ball of the tournament, and Sean Benjamin followed with a single. Tucker Stockman walked to put two runners on, but Panamanian starter Ismael Velasco stranded them aboard. After the first, Panama led 2-1.
Duthie worked around a leadoff double to retire Panama in the second, and Quinn Allen walked to start off the home half of the inning. Jackson Kraemer bunted him to second, and Royce Clayton Jr. beat out a grounder to put a pair of runners on for Lambdin. The captain lofted and fourth pitch he saw into the first row of seats in right, and Great Britain led 4-2. Panama went to the bullpen and got out of the inning, but Great Britain had their first advantage of the game.
Panama stranded a pair of runners on in the third, and GBR extended their lead in the home half. A pair of walks to Stockman and Allen put runners on the corners for Kraemer, who singled to left for Great Britain’s 5th run of the day. Clayton followed with a single of his own to score Allen, and Great Britain had doubled their lead to four.
In the fourth, Duthie allowed a pair of baserunners before giving way to Cam Moore with two out. Moore walked the first batter he saw, then hit Ryan Burrows to force in a run, before Eduardo Tait singled on a ball down the line to first. Manager Jonathon Cramman summoned Miles Langhorne from the British bullpen, but another infield hit scored the fifth Panamanian run before Walker Selley handled a grounder at first to end the inning with Great Britain leading, 6-5.
Benjamin singled with one out in the bottom half of the fourth and with two out, LeClair walked and Selley reached on an infield hit to load the bases, but Panama escaped without any damage done and tied the game in the fifth. With two out and the bases loaded, pinch hitter Arod McKenzie singled home Edwin Hildago to knot the score at six as the game moved to the home half of the fifth.
Great Britain struck back. A leadoff single by Kraemer followed by a Clayton double gave GBR the 7-6 advantage, and Panama went to their bullpen again. Lambdin would reach on a fielder’s choice – with Clayton safe at third on a late tag – and Collins laid down a bunt to score him for run number eight. Lambdin would score on a wild pitch followed by a passed ball, and both Benjamin and Stockman walked before another pitching change. LeClair greeted the new Panamanian arm with patience, working a walk himself, before Selley put a single back up the middle to score two more. Allen walked, Jackson Kraemer was hit by a pitch, and another pitching change took place, before Clayton was retired to end the frame. Five British runs had crossed the plate and Great Britain led, 11-6.
Langhorne returned to the mound and retired the Panamanian side in order = the first clean inning of the day – and Panama returned the favour to send the game to the seventh. Panama would load the bases to open the seventh and scored their seventh run of the day on an RBI groundout, but Langhorn struck out Yeremy Lezcano and Burrows to end the game and give Great Britain their second consecutive win over a North American opponent.
Stockman and Allen each walked three times in the contest, with 9 total free passes issued to Great Britain on the day. Jackson Kraemer and Benjamin also each stole a base, continuing Great Britain’s perfect record on the tournament.
Great Britain continues placement round play against host Nicaragua at Estadio Rigoberto López Pérez, León, with first pitch taking place at 00:00 GMT on 14 November (18:00 on 13 November in Nicaragua). The 2026 WBSC U23 Baseball World Cup can be watched on gametime.sport or for FREE on DAZN in the UK.
For the latest news and notes from the 2026 WBSC U23 Baseball World Cup and more, make sure to follow Great Britain Baseball on Facebook, gb_baseball on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, TikTok at @gbbaseball, and on the British Baseball Federation Website, britishbaseball.org.uk.