18U BWC: Venezuela needs Extras to prevail against Australia

01/09/2012

Seoul (Korea). Venezuela captured its first win at the XXV IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship in Seoul, Korea. On Saturday morning at Jamsil Stadium they blew a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, but managed to prevail 6-3 against Australia in ten innings. Both teams are now 1-1 in Group B in first-round play.

Seoul (Korea). Venezuela captured its first win at the XXV IBAF 18U Baseball World Championship in Seoul, Korea. On Saturday morning at Jamsil Stadium they blew a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, but managed to prevail 6-3 against Australia in ten innings. Both teams are now 1-1 in Group B in first-round play.

It looked an easy win for Venezuela early on. They took the lead in the opening frame, when Freddy Zorrilla drove in Wilson Garcia with a single to left. Garcia and Victor Colmenares scored in the sixth to extend the gap to 3-0. Australia on the other hand had a couple of base runners, but failed to get the timely hit to reach the board.

Until the ninth. The team from Down Under loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half of the frame. A throwing error helped them to two runs to cut the deficit to 2-3 and a bases loaded walk by Robbie Perkins two batters later tied the game. They had the chance to win it there, but Josh Kennelly struck out on three pitches.

In the tenth inning with the IBAF Extra Inning Rule in effect a series of wild pitches, a RBI single by Isaias Lucena and another error of four in total gave Venezuela three runs, as they regained their three-run lead from earlier. This time Australia couldn’t answer. Elliott Hargreaves, Karl Hoschke and Aaron Sayers went down in order to end the game.