Italy's dramatic 9-1 victory over Mexico secured Team USA's place in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. The Italians, led by Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, eliminated Mexico and advanced to face Puerto Rico in the semifinals. Pasquantino made history with three home runs, the first three-homer game in WBC history.

Team USA avoided a disastrous early exit after their shocking 8-6 loss to Italy on Tuesday. The Americans' fate depended on Italy's final pool play game, with an Italian win guaranteeing advancement. Aaron Nola pitched five shutout innings, while veteran Jon Berti added a home run as Italy dominated Mexico at Houston's Daikin Park before a pro-Mexico crowd of 39,894.

Italy's unblemished tournament run featured young, talented Italian-American players, many from major league rosters. The victory set up a Saturday semifinal clash with Puerto Rico. Team USA will face Canada on Friday, with San Francisco's Logan Webb expected to start for the Americans against Arizona's Michael Soroka. Canada clinched its quarterfinal berth with wins over Puerto Rico and Cuba, finishing atop Pool A.