PANAMA CITY, Panama – Host nation/No. 15 Panama defeated higher ranked No. 6 Mexico, 6-3, before more than 4,000 fans at Estadio Rico Cendeno on the opening day of the Pan American U-23 Championship and WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2018 Qualifier.
Víctor Moscote (New York Mets Class A – MLB) had a two-run home run for Panama, while Philadelphia Phillies prospect Harold Arauz earned the win.
MLB All-Star Yadier Molina led Puerto Rico to a seven-inning 10-0 knockout victory over Colombia in his managerial debut. Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect Jose Espada earned the win.
Cuba, Dominican Republic and unranked Costa Rica opened with 10+ run victories, while Venezuela had a tougher time with fellow South American Brazil. Houston Astros prospect Yohan Ramirez earned the win for Dominican Republic.
Day 1 – Scores
- Nr Costa Rica 14-0 No. 40 Peru
- No. 21 Argentina 1-16 No. 5 Cuba
- No. 65 Honduras 0-10 No. 16 Dominican Republic
- No. 18 Brazil 1-5 No. 9 Venezuela
- No. 6 Mexico 3-6 No. 15 Panama
- No. 11 Puerto Rico 10-0 No. 17 Colombia
Standings
| Group A |
Group B |
| CRC 1-0 |
CUB 1-0 |
| DOM 1-0 |
PUR 1-0 |
| PAN 1-0 |
VEN 1-0 |
| HON 0-1 |
ARG 0-1 |
| MEX 0-1 |
BRA 0-1 |
| PER 0-1 |
COL 0-1 |
