Puerto Rico v USA game cancelled due to heavy rain

Having waited an extra day to square off each other in the Opening Round, Puerto Rico and the United States were through four innings when the weather again turned uncooperative.

A downpour after the fourth left Clover Park’s field unplayable, resulting in the cancellation of the final contest of the Opening Round for the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier in Florida. The United States will open Super Round play on Friday while Puerto Rico has been eliminated from Olympic contention.

After the two teams combined for just one baserunner through the game’s first two innings, Puerto Rico took the contest’s first lead in the third when Kelvin Perez singled through the left side with one out, stole second, and came home on an RBI single back up the middle by Ivan De Jesus.

The United States responded in the next half-inning. Following Boston Red Sox prospect Triston Casas’ leadoff single to right, Tim Federowicz and Nick Allen each doubled with Federowicz plating Casas on his drive to right and Allen scoring Federowicz on a liner to the left field corner.

In the fourth, the US broke the game open. Eddy Alvarez singled to right, and Casas followed with a walk. After Federowicz reached on an attempted sacrifice bunt, Oakland A’s prospect Nick Allen blistered a grand slam off the roof of the bar beyond the left field wall to make it a 6-1 lead for the American side.

The rain arrived before start of play in the fifth, rendering the game an official cancellation.

The United States advanced to the Super Round with a 2-0 record in Opening Round play and is the top team out of Group A thanks to its head-to-head win over the Dominican Republic, the group’s other Super Round qualifier. In Group B, Venezuela took the top spot with its win over the group’s No. 2, Canada.

Friday afternoon at 1 PM, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic will open Super Round play at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Canada and the United States will follow at 7 PM.