USA 8-6 Dominican Republic: Luke Williams triple sends USA through to Super Round

The United States (2-0) downed the Dominican Republic (1-1) 8-6 on Tuesday night, becoming the first team to secure a spot in the Super Round of the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier.

USA led for five innings before a two-run home from Diego Goris in the top of the sixth saw the Dominican Republic take a 5-4 lead before Triston Casas scored in the bottom of the innings to tie the ball game and Luke Williams gave the US a lead they would not relinquish.

Tuesday night’s game at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches featured a 47-minute rain delay in the top of the first inning, but after the action resumed United States starter Joe Ryan completed a 1-2-3 frame that featured the first two of what would ultimately be ten strikeouts on the night.

Tristan Casas opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when he drilled a 3-2 pitch to straight away center with two outs, plating Todd Frazier and Eric Filia to put the US up 2-0.

Dominican slugger Juan Francisco halved the US lead in the top of the second with his first home run of the tournament, but the US offense got back to work with two-outs in the bottom of the fourth.

Mark Kolozsvary, the US catcher, hit his second home run in as many nights on the heels of an Eddy Alvarez double, and the Americans would take a three-run lead into the fifth at 4-1.

Ryan, who had fanned eight through his first four innings, started the top of the fifth with two more strikeouts, but ran into trouble with two outs.  A 3-2 pitch to Luis Liberato just missed the inside corner, and a Gustavo Nuñez double set up the Dominican Republic with two men in scoring position. Emilio Bonifacio delivered, smacking a triple to right-center that brought his team within one. That chased Ryan from the game, but Edwin Jackson came in and left Bonifacio stranded at third.

The Dominican Republic took a lead in the top of the sixth when Diego Goris hit a two-run homer off of Trevor Lane, but that lead would be short lived.

The United States saw seven straight batters reach base safely in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game on a Logan Forsythe pinch-hit single, taking the lead on a fielder’s choice grounder, and going back ahead by three on a Luke Williams triple to the wall in left center with two outs.

Francisco’s second home run on the night brought the Dominican Republic within two in the ninth, but closer David Robertson retired the next three batters he faced in order to secure the victory for the United States.