(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
    Curaçao empty-handed after lead against México in Serie Latinoamericana
Nederlands
 MANAGUA (Nicaragua) -
On Day 2 of the sixth edition of the Serie Latinoamericana, KJ74-Guardian Group WildCats lost 12-9 against Tobis de Acayucan (México) on Saturday-afternoon (January 27).
Curaçao trailed 4-2, but rallied for five runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead.
However, the Mexicans then won after all thanks to an 8-run rally (six unearned) with two outs in the eighth at bat.
The champion of Beisbòl Doble A, the Winter League on Curaçao, opened the event on Friday-afternoon with a 7-6 victory against Bravos de Urracá, the representative of Panamá.
On Sunday, the Curaçao-squad meets Tigres de Chinandega, the champion of host Nicaragua.
On Friday-evening, Tigres opened with a 10-5 win against the Mexicans.
Curaçao participates for the first time in the annual event after it became a member of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Béisbol Profesional in June last year.
...Ruderly Manuel started for Curaçao...
...On the photo, he pitches for Curaçao...
...during the 2016 Haarlem Baseball Week...
...in Haarlem (Netherlands)...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Ruderly Manuel was the starting pitcher for Curaçao.
The righthander had a good start, as he retired the side in order in the top of the first inning, but he then gave up an unearned run with two outs in the next at bat.
Manuel walked lead-off hitter Eliseo Aldazaba, then gave up a single to Francisco Rivera.
A force play-grounder by Victor Santos then led to the elimination at second base of Rivera.
With runners at the corners, Manuel struckout the next hitter.
He could have escaped unharmed out of this inning, but Aldazaba was able to score the first run when a hit by Santiago González ended in a fielding error.
In the third inning, México rallied for three runs to take more distance.
With one out, Enrique Osorio singled for the champion of the Liga Veracruzana Estatal de Béisbol.
He then stole second base and could advance on a following throwing error from catcher Dashenko Ricardo.
Next hitter Yadil Mujica then grounded the ball back to pitcher Manuel, who opted to eliminate Osorio at the plate, but he was safe to make it a 2-0 score.
Moments later, Mujica advanced to third base on a double by Eliseo Aldazaba.
Both scored on a following single by Francisco Rivera.
A double play ended the at bat, but Curaçao now trailed 4-0.
WildCats faced René Coss Hernández, who plays professionally in the Mexican League since 2007.
The righthander gave up a 2-out double to Yurendell De Caster in the bottom of the first inning, but he was left behind.
Coss got another baserunner in the second inning when he walked Dudley Leonora with one out.
Hereafter, Dashenko Ricardo hit a line drive, but that was caught by third baseman Héctor Hernández.
Moments later, Leonora was forced out on a grounder by Rojean Cleofa.
Trailing 4-0, Curaçao got one run back in the third inning.
With two outs, Sherman Lacrus walked and scored on a double by Yurendell De Caster.
Next hitter Randolph Kirindongo walked and the two runners moved on a wild pitch, but then stranded when a strikeout closed the at bat.
México got its first two hitters on base in the top of the fourth inning, but Ruderly Manuel then retired the next three hitters.
...Sherman Lacrus put Curaçao ahead...
...On the photo, he is hitting for Curaçao...
...during the 2017 World Port Tournament...
...in Rotterdam (Netherlands)...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
WildCats scored another run in the bottom of the fourth.
Dudley Leonora led off with a walk, then stole second base while Dashenko Ricardo struckout.
Moments later, he scored on a double by Rojean Cleofa, which cut the Mexican lead in half.
Cleofa stranded on second base, as a strikeout and a lineout into rightfield ended the at bat.
In the fifth inning, México appeared to take some more distance, as it got the bases loaded.
Manuel gave up a lead-off single, then walked the next hitter.
Two grounders followed, resulting in runners on second and third base.
To set up a force play, Raudel Verde was walked intentionally to load the bases.
That decision of Manager Johnny Balentina worked, as a force play-grounder indeed followed to end the at bat.
After Curaçao was retired in order in the bottom of the fifth inning, Sidney Antonia took over the pitching from Manuel in the next at bat.
He gave up a lead-off single to Daniel Sánchez, but he was forced out shortly thereafter.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Curaçao-squad rallied for five runs to turn the game its way!
Levi Carolus and Dudley Leonora began the at bat with singles.
Hereafter, the two runners were to advance on a sacrifice bunt by Dashenko Ricardo.
Ricardo indeed bunted, but that ended in a throwing error from pitcher René Coss Hernández.
That enabled both Carolus and Leonora to score to come alongside, while Ricardo ended up on second base!
It also led to a pitching change, as Jean Corpas took over.
He gave up an infield-hit to Rojean Cleofa, which moved Ricardo to third base.
Hereafter, Cleofa also got into scoring position after a wild pitch.
Next, the bases got loaded when Corpas walked Shurendell Mujica.
Corpas then followed with a strikeout, but then gave up a 2-run single to Sherman Lacrus that put Curaçao ahead, 6-4.
Lacrus played four professional seasons (2013-2016) in the organization of the Texas Rangers.
Another pitching change followed.
Alberto Leyva took the mound and saw Mujica and Lacrus move on a grounder by Yurendell De Caster.
Curaçao then scored another run when Leyva also uncorked a wild pitch, enabling Mujica to score and make it 7-4!
Unfortunately, the lead didn't last long, as the Mexican opponent rallied for eight runs in the top of the eighth inning to re-take the lead.
With a 7-4 lead, Shair Lacrus became the new pitcher for Curaçao in the eighth and he got two quick outs.
But hereafter, the Curaçao-squad ran into problems and gave up eight runs.
With two outs, the bases got loaded when Héctor Hernández reached on an infield-hit and Enrique Osorio and Yadil Mujica both walked.
A run was then scored when next batter Eliseo Aldazaba also walked.
A pitching change followed, as Lacrus was relieved by Shairon Martis.
The righthander closed the first game of Friday by retiring the side in the ninth which earned him a save.
But today, things went wrong, as he saw seven runs being scored.
However, six were unearned, as the Curaçao-defense committed two errors.
First, Martis walked Francisco Rivera, which made it a 7-6 score.
That could have been it for México, as a grounder by next hitter Victor Santos appeared to end the inning.
But an error was made and as the bases were loaded, it led to two runs and an 8-7 lead for México.
Hereafter, Martis gave up two consecutive runscoring singles to Raudel Verde (1 run) and Santiago González (2 runs).
Daniel Sánchez then also singled, which was followed by an outfield-error that led to another run.
Sánchez advanced tor third base on two wild pitches, but he stranded there, as a flyout finally ended the long and disastrous at bat.
Now suddenly trailing 12-7, Curaçao was able to get two runs back in the bottom of the eighth.
Rojean Cleofa led off with a homerun.
Hereafter, pinch-hitter Johnny Gregorius singled and scored on a pinch-hit double from Alexander Rodríguez.
But that was it for Curaçao, as three batters struckout in the bottom of the ninth, ending the game.
(January 27)
Related Articles:
 Curaçao opens Serie Latinoamericana with win vs. Panamá. (January 26)
Diegomar Markwell, Dudley Leonora to particpate in Serie Latinoamericana. (January 19)
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