Venezuela wins WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup

Venezuela wins WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup
03/10/2021
Pitchers limited the defending World Champions Mexico to three hits and took advantage of a pair of defensive woes of the hosts early in the game.

Venezuela downed Mexico 4-0 on Saturday night at Estadio Sonora to capture a U-23 World Championship in Hermosillo.

Venezuelan starter Wikelman Ramirez tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just three hits on the night.  The 21-year-old right-hander struck out four and baffled Mexico’s hitters all night long.

Two unearned runs in the first inning put Venezuela ahead.

"The fact of playing in Mexico put too much pressure on these players," commented Mexico's manager Enrique Reyes. "It's a fact we didn't play well enough to beat Venezuela."

Venezuela built on a lead. A barrage of extra-base hits in the third effectively put the game out of reach.  Jesus Lujano led off the third with a double and scored two batters later on a Romer Cuadrano sacrifice fly.  Juan Fernandez added his team-leading third home run of the tournament to cap the scoring.

The World Championship for Venezuela marks the pinnacle of an incredible climb through the U-23 standings over the years.  The nation finished in eighth place at the inaugural U-23 event in 2016 before taking home the bronze medals with a third place finish at the 2018 U-23 World Cup in Colombia.

Venezuela’s last international World Championship came in 2012 when its team finished first at the 15U Baseball World Championship.

"It is really easy to work with these players," commented Venezuela's manager Carlos Garcia. "They came together, worked hard, stayed focused on our goal. And more than that, they enjoyed playing the game."

Saturday night’s game, the first U-23 World Cup with the new seven inning format, was played in just one hour and forty minutes.