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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
    France eliminates Spain; Colombia in Final World Baseball Classic Qualifier
Nederlands
 PANAMA CITY (Panama) -
France struck early in its game against Spain on Friday (March 18) and went on to win 5-3 on Day 2 of the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Panama City.
With that, Spain was eliminated.
In the evening, at Estadio Nacional Rod Carew, Colombia also took an early decisive lead and won 6-3 vs. Panama to become the first finalist.
On Thursday, both Colombia and Panama had registered comfortable wins against respectively Spain and France.
With its loss today, Spain was eliminated for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
France now plays against Panama on Saturday with the winner of that game becoming the second finalist.
In the other Qualifying Tournament in Mexicali (México), the Czech Republic eliminated Germany, while México defeated Nicaragua to reach the Final.
The fourth and last tournament will be played in September in Brooklyn (USA).
Participating in that event will be Brazil, Great Britain, Israel and Pakistan.
In February the first WBC Qualifier took place in Sydney (Australia).
There, host Australia won the final against South Africa to become the thirteenth country to qualify for the fourth edition of the World Baseball Classic, which will be held in the Spring of 2017.
Canada, China, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Cuba, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, South Korea, USA and Venezuela already have qualified, based on their accomplishments during the last Classic in 2013.
Just as in 2013, the World Baseball Classic will have the status again as World Championship.
Back then, the Dominican Republic won the title and was crowned as World Champion.
In 2011, the Netherlands was the final team to capture the World Championship-title in a World Cup Tournament old-style, which then was held in Panama.
(March 18)
Related Articles:
 Narrow escapes Nicaragua & México in WBCQ openers. (March 17, 2016)
Colombia & Panama open WBC Qualifier with wins. (March 17, 2016)
Australia wins first World Baseball Classic Qualifier. (February 14, 2016)
South Africa second finalist in World Baseball Classic Qualifier. (February 13, 2016)
Australia in Final World Baseball Classic Qualifier. (February 12, 2016)
Australia, South Africa open WBC Qualifier with convincing win. (February 11, 2016)
First World Baseball Classic Qualifier to open in Australia. (February 10, 2016)
Dominican Republic new Classic-champion. (March 19, 2013)
Dutch Team ends up short in semi-final. (March 18, 2013)
Dutch Baseball Team World Champion! (October 15, 2011)
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Game 3 - Spain vs. France
France scored three runs in the first inning, added two in the fifth and went on to hold onto the lead to win 5-3 and eliminate Spain.
The win is an upset, as Spain qualified for the World Baseball Classic four years ago.
On the last European Championship in 2014 in the Czech Republic, Spain won the Bronze Medal, while France finished in sixth place.
Both teams faced each other then in their last game of the tournament with Spain winning 10-5.
The French victory today is a sign that European baseball is getting more and more stronger in several countries.
In the tournament in México, the Czech Republic registered a big 15-3 win against Germany to show it also has gained strength.
France opened the score with three runs in the first inning off of starter Richard Salazar.
With one out, Felix Brown and Frederic Hanvi singled.
Hereafter, veteran René Leveret lined out, but then Andy Paz, Ernesto Martínez and Douglas Rodríguez all followed with a runscoring single to make it 3-0.
In the bottom of the first inning, off of starter Leonel Cespedes, Oscar Angulo and Luis Guillorme led off with singles.
However, Angulo was eliminated trying to stretch it into a double and Guillorme was later forced out.
France took more distance in the third inning, scoring two runs off of reliever Rogelio Armenteros.
Frederic Hanvi led off with a double and moved on a passed ball.
Andy Paz then walked and stole second base.
Both then scored on a single by Ernesto Martínez to make it 5-0.
In the remainder of the game, France was held scoreless, but the lead was enough.
Spain scored its first run in the fifth inning.
With two outs and Jesús Merchan (fielder's choice) on first base, Daniel Martínez singled.
The bases then got loaded when Oscar Angulo reached on an error.
It led to a pitching change and veteran Keino Pérez took over from Cespedes.
Pérez walked Luis Guillorme, which brought in the first Spanish run, but hereafter rightfielder Norbert Jongerius caught the next fly by Jesús Ustaríz to end the inning.
And so, three Spanish runners stranded.
Pérez is a Colombian-born pitching-veteran,who pitched in the Dutch big league for Almere Magpies several years ago.
In the top of the sixth, Norbert Jongerius led off for France.
In his first two at bats, he struckout (first inning) and flied out (fourth inning), but now he reached second base on a throwing error.
But hereafter, he was left behind.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Spain again got the bases loaded off of Pérez.
With one out, Yunesky Sánchez singled, as did Blake Ochoa with two outs.
Pinch-hitter Yasser Gomez then walked.
Esteban Prioul then took over from Pérez and walked Iker Franco, which made it a 5-2 score.
Samuel Meurant, another pitching-veteran, then took over for Prioul with the bases still loaded.
The inning then ended when Oscar Angulo lined out and so, Spain again left three runners behind.
Like Pérez, Meurant also played in the Dutch big league some years ago, as he pitched for ADO.
In the top of the seventh, France failed to add an extra run, as it got the bases loaded.
René Leveret led off with a walk, Andy Paz reached on an error, then Douglas Rodríguez singled with one out.
But hereafter, a double play ended the at bat.
In the eighth, Norbert Jongerius led off and faced a familiar pitcher, Ricardo Hernandez Sanchez.
The lefthander had taken over the Spanish pitching in the inning before.
As player of UVV, Jongerius faced Hernandez last season in the Dutch big league.
Hernandez then pitched for Vaessen Pioniers, but he will play in the highest Italian league this year.
Jongerius singled, then, with one out, moved to third base on a single by Felix Brown, who was eliminated himself at second base.
Jongerius stranded when a pop-fly ended the at bat.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Spain again got the bases loaded.
Jesus Golindano led off with a walk, Yasser Gomez singled with one out and Oscar Angulo walked with two outs.
Golindano then scored on a passed ball to narrow the deficit to 5-3.
The bases were re-loaded when Luis Guillorme walked.
Hereafter, Pierrick Le Mestre became the third French pitcher in the inning and he closed with a strikeout, meaning Spain again left three runners behind.
Le Mestre retired the side in the ninth and ended with a strikeout to seal the victory.
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...French starter Leonel Cespedes and 2B Felix Brown during the European Championship 2014...
(© Both Photos: Henk Seppen) |
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Game 4 - Panama vs. Colombia
Colombia rallied for four runs in the top of the third inning to take an early comfortable lead en route to qualifying for the Final, that will be played on Sunday.
Three Colombian pitchers gave up only three basehits.
Starter Karl Triana dominated in six hitless (!) innings, striking out eight batters.
Colombia left two runners behind in the first inning, but then struck with four runs in the third inning off of starter Davis Romero.
Carlos Vidal led off with a double, then Harold Ramírez singled.
Dilson Herrera also singled to open the score.
Hereafter, Humberto Meijia took over the pitching, but began with a wild pitch that moved the two runners to second and third base.
Next batter Reynaldo Rodríguez then grounded out, but also led to a run.
Jesús Váldez added another runscoring single.
He then moved on another wild pitch and scored the fourth run in the at bat on a single by Mauricio Ramos.
In the bottom of the third, Colombian starter Karl Triana gave up an unearned run.
He walked lead-off batter Jorge Miranda, who then moved to third base when an error was made on a force play-grounder by Eduardo Thomas, who himself advanced on another error.
With one out, a grounder by Edgar Muñoz brought in Miranda.
The three middle innings remained scoreless, then Colombia added two runs in the seventh at bat off of Eliecer Navarro.
Reynaldo Rodríguez led off with a homerun.
Hereafter, Jesús Váldez singled and scored on a following double by Mauricio Ramos to make it 6-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Carlos Díaz took over the Colombian pitching for Karl Triana, who had thrown six strong innings.
With two outs, the Colombian No-Hitter ended when Javier Guerra homered.
In the ninth, Carlos Ruiz singled in the third run for Panama, but that was to be all for the home team.
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