(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
  Curaçao finishes fifth in Central American & Caribbean Games
Nederlands
 SAN SALVADOR (El Salvador) -
The National Team of Curaçao ended in fifth place in the baseball-tournament at the 24th edition of the Central American and Caribbean Games, which is held in El Salvador.
The Final of the tournament was cancelled on Saturday (July 1), due to rain.
Curaçao opened the even a week ago with a 12-4 victory against host El Salvador, but then lost 4-2 against Cuba the next day.
On Monday, all four scheduled games were postponed due to rain, including the game of Curaçao against Mexico.
On Tuesday, Curaçao nipped Venezuela 4-3 and on Wednesday, the team recorded another close win, nipping Puerto Rico, 3-2.
With that, Curaçao had won three of its four games so far.
In the game against Puerto Rico, Curaçao trailed 2-1, but came alongside in the bottom of the fifth inning when Andrelton Simmons reached on an error.
Curaçao then won the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Ortwin Pieternella led off with a double, then Roderick Bernadina was walked intentionally.
With one out, Curaçao got runners on second and third base on a grounder.
With first base open, Andrelton Simmons was walked intentionally to set up a force play.
But next batter Ericson Leonora then delivered a walk-off single.
However, two losses followed in the next two days.
On Thursday, Curaçao lost 6-5 to Nicaragua and on Friday, the team was shutout 10-0 by the Dominican Republic.
With that, Curaçao was eliminated for the Medal Round.
In the game against Nicaragua, Curaçao led 3-1 halfway the fifth inning.
Nicaragua then came alongside in the fifth.
With the score at 3-3 after seven innings, the game went into extra innings which was played with the international tie-break, beginning the at bat with runners at first and second base.
In the top of the eighth, Curaçao scored twice, but Nicaragua answered with three runs.
The game against the Dominicans remained scoreless in the first four innings.
The Dominicans then rallied for seven runs in the fifth and added three runs in the sixth to end the game via then mercy-rule.
On Saturday, Venezuela won 8-7 against the Dominican Republic to win the Bronze Medal.
The Final between Cuba and Mexico rained out.
As Mexico had the best record of the entire tournament, it was crowned as champion, while Cuba finished in second place.
(July 2)
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