Nicaragua tops Puerto Rico in extras, earns first win of WBSC Americas Olympic Qualifier
Ranked 15th in the WBSC world rankings, Nicaragua jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Benjamin Alegria and Jilton Calderon came up with back-to-back two-out hits off Puerto Rico starter Miguel Martinez.
A Luis Alen leadoff home run in the top of the second made it 2-0 before Puerto Rico came roaring back in the bottom half of the inning.
Jesmuel Valentin tied the game with his first home run of the tournament, a two-run blast off Nicaragua’s Dilmer Mejia, and the inning quickly got worse for Mejia from there. The southpaw walked Michael Arroyo and Luis Mateo followed with a single before Ivan De Jesus brought them home with a two-out double that snapped the 2-2 tie. De Jesus scored one batter later on a throwing error and Puerto Rico entered the third ahead 5-2.
Martinez settled down after his shaky start and allowed just two more baserunners in his final three frames.
Both bullpens cruised through the middle innings, but Nicaragua’s offense got going again in the top of the eighth. The rally started with a one-out Ismael Manguia single, and three batters later it was pinch-hitter Edgard Montiel who tied the game with a two-run single through the hole into left.
That set the stage for the always eventful extra innings that begin with runners on first and second with none out.
Nicaragua scored first in the top of the tenth, managing to plate two without a hit. Shortstop Brandon Leyton led off and chopped one over the head of Puerto Rican pitcher Freddie Cabrera. Osvaldo Martinez made a great diving stop and forced out the runner at second, setting up first and third with one out. The go-ahead run came in on a wild pitch, and after a walk and another wild pitch Nicaragua went up 7-5 on a sacrifice fly to left.
Puerto Rico got one back in the bottom half of the inning with a sacrifice bunt and a groundout, but Nicaragua’s Sheyder Garcia got Martinez to fly out to centerfield to end the ballgame. When it was all over, Puerto Rico had left 12 men on base.
Nicaragua will look to finish group play with two straight wins when they take on the Dominican Republic on Wednesday afternoon at Port St. Lucie. Puerto Rico, meanwhile, will try to find a win in the Group A finale on Wednesday night against the United States.
