Pitcher Ibrahim Gonzalez secures Puerto Rico win

World No. 13 Puerto Rico started their XXXI WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup journey with a 6-2 win against No. 15 Czechia at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium.

Starting pitcher Ibrahim Gonzalez struck out six, and relievers Jose Bulted, Carlos Jazmin, Henry Clausell and Carlos Roses only allowed one run with no hits, securing a win for the team.

At the beginning of the game, Puerto Rico turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the first inning.

After three scoreless innings, Czechia’s Jakub Winkler singled a liner down the left-field line, sending Matous Bubenik home and helping Czechia end the fourth inning 1-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, Yeniel Pastrana hit Puerto Rico’s first hit and later scored on Ediel Rivera’s triple to right field, tying the game at one. Puerto Rico scored three more runs. Adonys Velez tripled, Adrian Padro singled and one run scored on a wild pitch, taking the lead to 4-1.

In the fifth, Puerto Rico thrived on Velez’s two-RBI single through the left field, extending the lead to 6-1.

In the top of the sixth, Puerto Rico stopped Czechia’s comeback attempt with a perfectly executed double play.

In the top of the seventh, Czechia loaded the bases. They scored their second run, but Puerto Rico used another double play and stopped another comeback attempt.

On Sunday, Puerto Rico will face World No.9 Australia, while Czechia will play South Korea.