Bartorillo’s bat sparks Black Sox

Chapman impressed with eight strikeouts while conceding just two safe hits and a walk in the Black Sox’s first appearance at home since winning a seventh world title in 2017.

The Black Sox were in command from the first inning when Bartorillo scored after he, shortstop Cole Evans and first baseman Jerome Raemaki swatted successive singles off Black Sox B starting pitcher Ben Watts.

Centrefielder Ben Enoka hit his homer in the third inning and brother Thomas followed suit in the fourth for a 3-0 lead.

Zane van Lieshout singled in the fifth inning and replacement runner Joe Ferriso stole second base, advanced to third on a passed ball and added the fourth run on Ben Enoka’s sacrifice.

Bartorillo, a Black Sox gold medallist in 2013 and 2017, then powered the ball over the outfield fence for the fifth and final run.

Black Sox B captain Josh Harbrow – part of the 2017 world title winning squad – and his Canterbury colleague Callum Bishop had the only safe hits off Chapman’s pitching, but both were later thrown out at second base by catcher van Lieshout.

The Black Sox had 10 safe hits, to Bartorillo (3), Raemaki (2), Cole Evans, van Lieshout and brothers Ben, Thomas and Campbell Enoka.

B team coach Thomas Makea used three pitchers. Starter Watts yielded five hits, one walk and two earned runs, while taking one strikeout. Home runs contributed two of the three hits conceded by Ethan Johnston, who gave up two earned runs for one strikeout.

Japan beat Black Sox B 2-1.