World No. nine Venezuela started their game against Denmark, ranked 10th in the world, with all to play for including a WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Super Round spot, knowing they had to win to finish ahead of Japan who were playing at the same time.
Kim Hansen
started on the mound for Denmark, who were looking for their first win of the tournament,
but struggled to settle as the South Americans managed to collect a couple of
hits and score two runs in the first.
Venezuela,
who won this encounter 1-0 in 2019, were super hot with Rafarel Flores’ line
drive down the left field line bringing home Carlos Villegas and Rogelio
Sequera. Venezuela added another in the second with Sequera's single to left
field scoring Jorge Lima to lead 3-0.
With
Venezuela threatening to take the game away, Hansen, who already pitched two
complete games against Japan and South Africa, soon found his rhythm, allowing
Denmark to work their way back into the contest in the bottom of the second. Tobias
Holmelund got home on a wild pitch while Martin Simonson scored Nicholai
Andersen with a single to left field.
Venezuela
made a key pitcher change with Victor Guedez, who had only previously pitched
four innings all tournament, on for Erick Urbaneja who was making his second
appearance in the tournament in the third inning, which stemmed the flow of
runs
A score by Nicholai
Andersen in the fourth did
tie up the
game at 3-3 but by this stage Venezuela knew they were through to the Super
Round after Japan had lost to Canada on Diamond 1. It
seemed to relax Venezuela and tie Denmark up with
Edinson Marreo and Ricardo Lukert scoring in the fifth and Carlos Villegas
scoring on a wild pitch in the sixth.
With Demark seemingly
putting pressure on the Venezuela offence, all the pressure was released when
Oscar Andersen miss judged an Angel Adames flyball to the left field, allowing
the ball to pass him but by the time he recovered, Edinson Marrero and Ricardo
Lukert had scored to put the icing on the cake for Venezuela 8-3.
Victor
Guedez was charged with the win for Venezuela while Hansen completed his third complete
game for the tournament and collected his fourth loss.