(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
    Curaçao loses in 11th inning vs. Nicaragua, but reaches Semi-Final of Serie Latinoamericana
Nederlands
 MANAGUA (Nicaragua) -
KJ74-Guardian Group WildCats, the champion of Curaçao, lost 6-5 in eleven innings on Sunday-evening (January 28) against Nicaraguan champion Tigres de Chinandega on Day 3 of the sixth edition of the Serie Latinoamericana.
Curaçao failed to hold onto the lead twice, while Nicaragua recorded a hardfought victory.
Nicaragua, which played somewhat nochalantly in the beginning of the game, remained unbeaten with this win and qualified for the Final.
Curaçao now will play in the Semi-Final on Tuesday.
With a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit), it was a nice evening to play at Estadio Nacional Dennis Martínez.
Tonight, Dennis Martínez, who was the first Nicaraguan player to reach the Major League, was in attendance.
Before the start of the game, the Curaçao-squad already had secured itself of a spot in the Play-Off, which will be played on Tuesday.
On Sunday-afternoon, Tobis de Acayucan (México) won 7-2 against Bravos de Urracá (Panamá).
With that, the Panamese squad lost its third game and was eliminated for the Championship Round, while México advanced to the Play-Off game.
On Saturday-evening, Panamá had lost 6-4 to Nicaragua, which then recorded its second victory.
WildCats opened the event on Friday-afternoon with a 7-6 victory against Panamá.
On Saturday, the team lost 12-9 against México, despite leading 7-4 after six innings.
The Curaçao-squad makes a very good impression in its first participation in the annual event after it became a member of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Béisbol Profesional in June last year.
...Johnny Gregorius had 3 hits and scored twice for Curaçao...
...On the photo, he plays for Curaçao during the...
...2013 World Port Tournament in Rotterdam (Netherlands)...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Curaçao was off to a good start and had a productive first at bat and scored two runs with two outs.
Lead-off hitter Sherman Lacrus reached base on an error.
With one out, Lacrus moved to second base on a single by Yurendell De Caster, then scored when next hitter Alexander Rodriguez also singled.
While De Caster advanced to third base, Rodriguez was eliminated at second base trying to move on the throw.
Moments later, De Caster scored the second run on a wild pitch from starting pitcher Wilton López.
With two outs, Johnny Gregorius doubled, then moved to third base when next hitter Dudley Leonora reached on the second error in this inning by third baseman Elmer Reyes.
But Gregorius and Leonora stranded, as a strikeout ended the at bat.
In the bottom of the first inning, Nicaragua got the bases loaded off of Curaçao-starter Carrol Servania, who pitched well.
But the Nicaraguan squad didn't score.
After two quick outs, the righthander gave up an infield-hit to Yosmany Guerra.
The bases then got loaded when Osman Marval singled and Wuillians Vásquez walked.
The inning ended when Edgard Montiel popped up to first base, leaving three runners behind.
Vásquez is one of the players who were added to the roster of the Nicaraguan champion for this tournament, as is third baseman Reyes.
The rule is somewhat similar to that of the pick-up players, which is used by European softball club-teams during its participation in European Cup-tournaments.
Netherlands Team-player Curt Smith, who won the title with Tigres a week ago, is not on the roster.
Curaçao added another run in the top of the fourth inning.
Johnny Gregorius led off with a single (his second basehit in two at bats).
The brother of Major League-player Didi Gregorius then stole second base and advanced on a throwing error from the catcher.
With two outs, he scored when Rojean Cleofa doubled to make it a 3-0 score.
After getting the bases loaded in the first inning, Curaçao-starter Carrol Servania retired the side in the next three Nicaraguan at bats.
...Shurendell Mujica played for the Netherlands Team...
...during the 2014 Haarlem Baseball Week...
...With Curaçao, he participated in three...
...World Port Tournaments (2013, 2015, 2017)...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the fifth inning, Curaçao appeared to get another baserunner.
With one out, Shurendell Mujica reached on an infield-hit.
Short stop Jesús López threw the ball high over first base and Mujica made a wide turn trying to advance.
First baseman Osman Marval threw the ball to second baseman Yosmany Guerra, who tagged Mujica.
It was a close play, but 2B Umpire Luis Centeno called Mujica out.
Curaçao Manager Johnny Balentina challenged the call and a lengthy look at the replays followed.
It appeared that Mujica touched the base inches before being tagged, but the call was upheld.
Hereafter, the inning ended with flyout.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Curaçao ran into problems with two outs.
Carrol Servania retired the first two batters, but Nicaragua then reached base after 12 consecutive batters had been eliminated.
Jesús López then singled and Norlando Valle reached on an infield-hit.
Elmer Reyes followed with a double that brought in López.
With runners on second and third base, Valle scored the second run on a wild pitch.
With Reyes now on third base, Yosmany Guerra walked, but the two runners stranded when a flyout ended the at bat, meaning Curaçao stayed ahead, 3-2.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Servania walked Juan Urbina and was relieved by Sidney Antonio.
He closed the at bat with a strikeout.
In the top of the seventh inning, Curaçao got a runner on third base, but didn't score.
Fidencio Flores took over the pitching from Wilton López, but he walked lead-off hitter Luisgardo Alvarez.
With one out, Raysheron Michel replaced Alvarez as pinch-runner and he moved to second base when a pick-off ended in a throwing error.
He moved to third base on a grounder, but then was left behind.
Nicaragua came alongside in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Jesús López led off with a walk and could advance when a pick-off from catcher Reangelo Beaumont ended up in rightfield.
That was costly, as López scored the tying run shortly hereafter on a single by Norlando Valle.
Wendell Floranus then took over the pitching.
After Valle was caught stealing, Floranus gave up a 2-out single to Yosmany Guerra, but he was left behind.
...Dashenko Ricardo batted in the go-ahead run in the 11th...
...On the photo, he plays for the Netherlands Team...
...during the 2017 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the ninth inning, Curaçao got the bases loaded with two outs, but was unable to re-take the lead.
New pitcher Wilber Bucardo gave up an one-out double to pinch-hitter Levi Carolus, then an infield-hit with two outs to Rojean Cleofa.
The bases got loaded when pinch-hitter Dashenko Ricardo walked, but he was forced out moments later to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, it was Nicaragua that got the bases loaded, but also didn't score.
With one out, reliever Cerilio Soleana saw Norlando Valle reached on an error.
With two outs, the lefthander walked Yosmany Guerra.
After the two runners had advanced on a wild pitch, Osman Marval was walked intentionally to set up a force play.
Shair Lacrus took over the pitching and he got an inning-ending flyout from Wuillians Vásquez, meaning the game went into extra innings.
In the top of the tenth inning, with one out, Yurendell De Caster lined the ball into rightfield, but there, William Rayo made a great diving catch.
Rayo had entered the game as a pinch-runner in the sixth and had taken over in rightfield in the seventh inning.
Hereafter, a line drive from Alexander Rodriguez was caught by first baseman Osman Marval to end the inning.
Curaçao scored twice in the top of the eleventh inning to re-take the lead again.
Johnny Gregorius led off with an infield-hit (his third basehit in the game), then stole second base.
With one out, Raywendley van Gurp walked.
With two outs, Gregorius scored the go-ahead run on a single from Dashenko Ricardo.
That moved Van Gurp to third base and he then scored for what appeared to be an insurance run when he was awarded home plate on a balk.
Ricardo later stranded on third base, but Curaçao led 5-3!
Unfortunately, a nervous bottom of the eleventh inning followed in which Nicaragua turned the game its way after all!
Pinch-hitter Jamar Walton led off with a homerun off of reliever Shair Lacrus to make it a 5-4 score.
Next batter Elmer Reyes reached on a throwing error and Yosmany Guerra followed with a single.
Designated hitter Johnny Gregorius then was brought in as reliever, but he saw the bases getting loaded when Osman Marval reached on a bunt-single.
Another pitching change followed, as first baseman Alexander Rodriguez took over from Gregorius with the bases loaded.
The lefthander faced Wuillians Vásquez, who hit the ball down the leftfield-line for a walk-off, 2-run single that gave Nicaragua a 6-5 victory and ended the game that lasted four hours and five minutes!
With the win, Nicaragua remained unbeaten and advanced to the Final, which will be played on Wednesday.
Curaçao now will meet México in the Semi-Final on Tuesday.
(January 28)
Related Articles:
 Curaçao empty-handed after lead vs. México in Nicaragua. (January 27)
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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