23/09/2021 - 02/10/2021

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Colombia outscores Nicaragua, wins second consecutive game by knockout

Colombia outscores Nicaragua, wins second consecutive game by knockout
27/09/2021
The top four hitters in Colombia’s lineup combined to go 9-for-16.

Almost exactly 24 hours after taking down the Netherlands 10-0 in six innings, Colombia handed another team the same fate.

World No. 15 Colombia roared to its third straight win as its offense continued to cruise, piling up 14 hits on the way to a 10-0 victory over No. 14 Nicaragua.

The top four hitters in Colombia’s lineup were the drivers behind their team’s second straight run-rule victory with Gustavo Campero, Jordan Diaz, Jesus Marriaga, and Leandro Emiliani combining to go 9-for-16 with three doubles, a triple, and a home run. The quartet drove in seven while scoring six of their team’s runs.

"I'm aware of what we have," commented Colombia's manager José Mosquera."We just needed a game like this. My players saw that focusing on little things leads to good performances."

Diaz was the one to get the home team started with a two-run homer to right-center in the bottom of the first, and Campero added an RBI single to right-center in the second. Colombia broke the game open in the fifth. After Emiliani opened his side’s six-run inning with an RBI single through the right side, Luis Castro drove in two more on a single of his own to the same spot. Later in the inning, Campero also singled to right to drive in a pair, and Diaz capped the inning with an RBI double to left-center.

Juan Zabala notched an RBI base hit to right-center in the bottom of the sixth for Colombia’s final run, bringing an early end to the contest at 10-0.

Not to be outdone by their offense, Colombia pitchers were dominant as well. Jorge Martinez allowed just two hits in four innings, striking out four with one walk to pick up the win while Luis De Avila struck out two against one walk in two hitless innings to close out the victory on the mound.

In the final day of Opening Round play on Monday, Colombia will aim for a 4-1 finish to Group B action when it squares off with world No. 2 Korea in the night game from 19:30.

"We have won two consecutive games by knockout, but I still give every other team my respect. We need to stay focused on what we are doing and try to play one inning at a time."

Nicaragua and the Netherlands, both 1-3, will match up for the morning contest at 10:30.