Brazil defeated Nicaragua 9-7 on Sunday morning in Chihuahua to finish in fifth place at the I IBAF 15U Baseball World Championship. Three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a 6-6 tie and gave the South Americans the decisive lead. Nicaragua has to settle for sixth in the tournament.
It was a slugfest in the beginning of the contest. Brazil scored six times to take a 6-4 lead after three innings, but Nicaragua tied it in the fifth. In the seventh Victor Yasunaga regained the lead for the Brazilians with a RBI double to left. After an intentional walk Gustavo Higa stepped to the plate and drove in two more with a triple down the right field line.
Geovani Barbari hit a solo homerun for Brazil. Salomon Koba went 3-for-3 with a run and a RBI. Julio Escobar led Nicaragua with four hits, two runs and two RBI. He doubled twice. Fidel Estrella also drove in two.
