Italy maintained their perfect record at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) with a commanding 9–1 victory over Mexico in Houston on Wednesday, securing first place in Pool B and a place in the quarter-finals.
The Azzurri’s win came just a day after they recorded a historic 8–6 upset against the United States, one of the tournament favourites, in the same group. The back-to-back victories confirmed Italy as Pool B champions with a perfect 4–0 record.
Italy will now face Puerto Rico, who finished second in Pool A, in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
First three-homer game in WBC tournament history
Team captain Vinnie Pasquantino delivered one of the standout performances in the history of the tournament, hitting three home runs against Mexico. That was the first three-homer game in the 20-year history of the World Baseball Classic.
Pasquantino’s home runs came in the second, sixth and eighth innings, helping Italy build an early lead and maintain control of the game throughout. Italy finished with 10 hits, while Mexico managed just one run and five hits.
“We are the Pool B champions,” Pasquantino said after the game. “And that’s pretty special.”
Another key moment came in the fourth inning when Jon Berti added a home run to extend Italy’s advantage as the Azzurri gradually pulled away from their opponents.
The victory also had wider consequences for the tournament. Italy’s defeat of Mexico allowed the United States to advance to the quarter-finals as the second-placed team in Pool B despite their loss to the Azzurri the previous day.
Italy, managed by former Major League catcher Francisco Cervelli, have emerged as one of the surprise teams of the competition. The squad includes several players born in the United States who are eligible to represent Italy through family heritage, a common feature of the national team’s roster.
The unbeaten run marks one of Italy’s best performances in the World Baseball Classic and their third appearance in the quarter-final stage, following previous runs in 2013 and 2023. The quarter-final clash with Puerto Rico will again take place in Houston, where Italy will attempt to extend their unexpected run in the tournament.
