HOUSTON — Italy erased an early two-run deficit and beat Great Britain 7-4 on Sunday at Daikin Park, improving to 2-0 in Pool B at the 2026 World Baseball Classic and setting up critical games against the United States and Mexico.
Back-to-back solo home runs by Andrew Fischer and J.J. D’Orazio in the bottom of the third inning changed the game, and Italy’s offense kept building from there with a three-run fourth and a two-run fifth.
Italy’s Andrew Fischer gets an espresso in dugout after hitting a home run against Britain during the third inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The win gave Italy exactly what it needed through the first half of pool play: victories over Brazil and Great Britain before the schedule turns to the group’s two heavyweight matchups.
Italy settles in after shaky first inning
Great Britain grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after Nate Eaton doubled, Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled, and two wild pitches from Italy starter Dylan DeLucia brought both runners home.
Italy could have let the game get away early.
Instead, DeLucia recovered to strike out five over 3 2/3 innings, and Italy’s pitching staff settled the game down. Gabriele Quattrini earned the win in relief, while Joe La Sorsa, Matt Festa, Ron Marinaccio, and Greg Weissert combined to finish it off. Great Britain scored twice in the eighth and put traffic on again in the ninth, but Italy closed the door.
Fischer and D’Orazio turn the game around
Italy broke through in the third inning when Andrew Fischer homered to right-center in his first World Baseball Classic at-bat, trimming the deficit to 2-1. J.J. D’Orazio followed immediately with a solo shot of his own to tie the game.
Fischer finished 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored, while D’Orazio also went 2-for-4 with a homer, an RBI, and two runs scored. Italy got the quick jolt it needed, and the dugout responded.
After the game, Fischer said the moment hit him all at once.
“You’re representing your family, friends, the country,” Fischer said. “Then you finally get an at-bat in the next game, and it all comes out at once.”
Fans also reacted online as Italy improved to 2-0, with one r/baseball commenter writing, “Italy quietly building some momentum here. Love seeing more teams compete in the WBC.”
Italy’s fourth inning created separation
The game swung for good in the fourth inning.
After Zach Dezenzo doubled, Fischer beat out an RBI infield single to give Italy a 3-2 lead. D’Orazio then reached on an error by shortstop Ian Lewis Jr., and Italy added two more runs on an RBI double from Miles Mastrobuoni and a two-out RBI single by Dante Nori.
That inning said as much about Italy as the home runs did.
Italy finished with 12 hits, went 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and got contributions throughout the lineup. Mastrobuoni reached three times, Nori added two hits and an RBI, and Italy kept forcing Great Britain into stressful innings.
Italy’s Jakob Marsee, right, scores as Britain catcher Harry Ford reaches to tag him during the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Antonacci’s hustle extends the lead
Italy added two more runs in the fifth on a sequence that gave it needed breathing room.
After Dezenzo walked, Sam Antonacci tripled to right to score one run, then came home on a throwing error by Chisholm. The play pushed Italy’s lead to 7-2 and proved important when Great Britain mounted its late push.
Chisholm was better, but Great Britain needed more
Great Britain got a better offensive game from Chisholm than it had earlier in the tournament.
He finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored, one walk, one RBI, and one stolen base, while Eaton went 2-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. That was a clear step forward for Chisholm after a slow start in pool play, but Great Britain still could not generate enough offense behind them.
The rest of the lineup left too much on the table. Great Britain went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, struck out 13 times, and got no hits from Harry Ford, B.J. Murray, or Lewis. Italy had more answers over nine innings, and that was the difference.
Berti’s absence stood out, but Italy’s depth responded
One of the more notable pregame developments was that Jon Berti was not in Italy’s starting lineup a day after going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a single, and a stolen base against Brazil.
Before the game, manager Francisco Cervelli said Berti was healthy and that the lineup changes were part of getting different players involved. That decision paid off quickly with Fischer and D’Orazio both homering and Italy getting another balanced effort offensively.
What it means for Pool B
At minimum, Italy did what it had to do.
Italy’s Vinnie Pasquantino (9) and Andrew Fischer celebrate after a World Baseball Classic game against Britain Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The wins over Brazil and Great Britain moved Italy to 2-0 and gave it a real chance to advance entering games against Team USA on Tuesday, March 10, at 9 p.m. ET and Mexico on Wednesday, March 11, at 7 p.m. ET. MLB’s schedule and standings pages show those matchups as the final two Pool B games for Italy.
Later Sunday, Mexico answered with a 16-0 mercy-rule win over Brazil, which kept the pressure on the rest of the pool and made clear that Italy’s path will still have to run through the tournament’s two favorites.
Italy took care of the first part.
Now the pool gets tougher.
