Centre fielder Alan Peker drove a clutch two-run homer to close out the 6-3 win for Argentina over Venezuela in their Super Round encounter in the XVII WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup on Thursday.
Peker is one of the key players for the defending champions, leading the way for his team’s undefeated run. Against Venezuela, he logged two hits, two runs and two RBIs, along with his third home run in the tournament so far.
Peker
scored the first run for Argentina at the bottom of the first inning, after he
singled to centre field and Teo Migliavacca’s triple to right centre. Migliavacca
recorded the next run as he progressed to the home plate on a wild pitch.
The second
inning went scoreless for both teams, and at the top of the third and on full
count, Venezuela’s Rafael Flores felt the pulse to blast an out-of-the-park
home run to trail within one run 2-1.
Argentina responded with a run in each of the next two
frames. Migliavacca advanced from base after base after he earned a walk, a
bunt by Manuel Godoy and a single by Juan Zara before the single from Gonzalo
Ojeda finally put him on home plate in the third inning.
In the fourth inning, Eder Federico completed the run,
starting with his own single, and Migliavacca and Godoy’s consecutive single
hits to extend the lead to 4-1.
Venezuela refused to give in to the pressure as they entered
the top of the fifth, and unleashed a more aggressive approach on offence,
involving Rogelio Sequera and Carlos Ojeda, who accomplished the run, each scored
courtesy of an RBI single from Erwin Diaz and Jorge Lima to reduce the deficit
to 4-3.
Argentina registered their final runs in the sixth inning
through first batter Federico Eder, who singled to first base after a strike
one and three balls, then as Peker set foot on the batter’s box, it only took
one ball to complete, as he slammed a homer, putting him and Eder to score the
two runs and a 6-3 lead.
Roman Godoy finished off the game as he struck out Erwin Diaz,
Engelbert Herrera and Edinson Marrero, respectively, to secure the 6-3 victory.
