World No. 13 Colombia defeated No. 20 Nicaragua in the final, 1-0, after a thrilling pitching duel to win the Pan American U-23 Baseball Championship.
Victor Vargas limited Nicaragua to a couple of hits over six innings while striking out eight. Bryan Torres allowed one hit and one walk over six innings while striking out three.
Nicaragua scored the winning run in the top of the seventh. Catcher Guillermo Quintana, who plays for the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association (a WBSC Associate Member), doubled off Torres to lead off the inning, recording the second Colombian hit of the game. Nicaragua handed the ball to Duque Hebbert. Quintana reached third on a groundout and beat the throw home on Jaider Morelos' grounder to score the winning run.
Colombia lost a potential insurance run at home plate and used two pitchers, Hader Blanco and Nicolas Maldonado, to get the final three outs. Torres earned the win, and Maldonado saved it.
Victor Vargas, who started six games at the Double-A level for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB), earned the final's MVP Award.
No. 6 Venezuela used a three-run seventh at-bat to defeat No. 12 Puerto Rico, 7-4, in the third-place game and earned a bronze medal. Reliever Wilker Palma, Venezuela's fifth pitcher, got the final out and earned the win.
Second baseman Antoni Flores a Boston Red Sox prospect, led Venezuela's offence, going 2-for-2 with a home run and five RBIs. Left fielder Jesus Bugarin (solo homer) and catcher David Garcia also had a two-hit game.
Colombia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Puerto Rico qualified for the V WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup, to be staged in China in the summer of 2024.
Nicaragua's third baseman Elian Rayo, who went 5-for-11, a .455 batting average, with two home runs and nine RBIs, was named the tournament's MVP.
Rayo, 20, is under contract with MLB's San Francisco Giants.
Nicaragua's first baseman Freddvil Chevez, a former minor leaguer, went 7-for-13 (a .538 batting average) to become the tournament's batting champion.
Puerto Rico's shortstop Jankel Ortiz, a Minnesota Twins prospect, was the home run leader with three.
Nicaragua's Stiven Cruz topped the tournament with strikeouts, 14 in seven innings pitched. In 2023 Cruz started 19 games for the Milwaukee Brewers A+ affiliates.
The final standings
- Colombia
- Nicaragua
- Venezuela
- Puerto Rico
- Cuba
- Panama
- Mexico
- Dominican Republic
- Curaçao
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
The U-23 Pan American Baseball Championship official web page
