TAICHUNG STADIUM. Venezuela got its second win in the XXVI 18U Baseball World Cup on Monday morning, defeating Canada 7-5 with a ninth inning three-run comeback.
A towering 2-2 count, three-run homer by Tyler O’Neill off Juan Vegas had broken the scoreless situation in the bottom of the third, but the Venezuelans did not wait long before showing what kind of game they were thinking of, tying it in the fifth against reliever Luke Manuel with two singles in row by leadoff Torres and Oliveros, followed by a two-run double by Silva. The shortstop reached third after Echegaray’s single and tied the game out of Teran sacrifice fly to the right field.
The Northamericans reacted immediately, getting two runs from Thibideau’s walk and an RBI single by Naylor and a double by Fontaine.
Shortstop Luis Silva batted in his third run in the sixth, making it a one-run game until the ninth, when Venezuela’s pressure paid off: with one out, pinch hitter Quero got a single out of a short bunt to pitcher Brodie Harkness, who gave up two more RBI singles in a row to Concepcion, who tied the game and Suarez, who gave the Southamericans the lead bunting to Harkness, who could not make the play to first on time.
The change sent Procopio on the mound for Canada; the reliever got his two outs, but also committed a balk that allowed Silva to score the seventh run.
Ismael Zerpa only gave up a double to O’Neill in the ninth, than the Venezuelans could celebrate their second heart-breaking victory in the tournament.
