(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
        WildCats Curaçao opens Caribbean Series with extra-inning loss
Nederlands
  CARACAS / MACUTO, La Guaira State (Venezuela) -
The 65th edition of the annual Serie del Caribe (Caribbean Baseball Series) went underway on Thursday (February 2) in Venezuela, which last organized the event nine years ago.
Back then, in 2014, the games were played in Porlamar at Isla de Margarita.
This time, the games are played in the new Estadio Monumental de Caracas Simón Bolívar (or Estadio de La Rinconada) in capital Caracas and the Estadio Jorge Luis García Carneiro in seaside city Macuto.
The Serie del Caribe is organized by the Confederación de Béisbol Profesional del Caribe (CBPC).
In this edition, a record eight countries are represented.
Last year, six teams participated, which had been the case since 2019.
Participating in the tournament, which was first organized in 1949, are the champions of the professional leagues in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, plus representatives from guest-countries Cuba and Curaçao.
Since 2013, the two best teams of the round-robin tournament meet in a Final to decide the championship.
Last year, when the event was held in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Colombian champion Caimanes de Barranquilla surprisingly won the tournament by winning 4-1 against Gigantes del Cibao (Dominican Republic).
Although the countries are officially represented by the champion of their respective league, the teams often add (guest)players for the Caribbean Series.
Therefore, during the event, the teams are not called by their club-name, but by their country.
For the first time, Curaçao also participates in the tournament.
Curaçao is represented by WildCats KJ74, which won the Curaçao National Championship in the AA League at the end of November last year.
The roster of the team looks as follows:
Pitchers: Nelmerson Angela, Wendell Floranus, Edgar Ernesto Garcia, Ryan Huntington, Jair Jurrjens, Kevin Kelly, Témesh Lourens, Jordan Lucas, Shairon Martis, Cody Mincey, Nestor Molina, Cerilio Soleana, Juan Carlos Sulbaran and Franklin Van Gurp.
Catchers: Sicnarf Loopstok and Dashenko Ricardo.
Infielders: Dudley Leonora, Jonathan Schoop, Sharlon Schoop, Darren Seferina, Andrelton Simmons and Raywendley Van Gurp.
Outfielders: Edmond Americaan, Wladimir Balentien, Roger Bernadina, Aldrich De Jongh, Ray-Patrick Didder and Juremi Profar.
Several of these players have played for the Netherlands National Baseball Team and some of them also are on the preliminary roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, which begins on March 8.
Many players also have played, or still play, in the Dutch big league.
Angela, Loopstok and Sharlon Schoop are currently on the roster of Amsterdam Pirates, while Bernadina, Huntington, Kelly, Martis and Ricardo are all on the roster of Curaçao Neptunus.
Sulbaran last season pitched for Neptunus, Franklin Van Gurp last year played for Pirates.
Leonora played in the highest Italian League for San Marino.
Jonathan Schoop is a current Major Leaguer, as he plays for Detroit Tigers, Simmons played in the Major League last season, before he was released by Minnesota Twins.
The team from Curaçao opened the tournament on Thursday-morning against Agricultores, a team composed of players from Leñadores de Las Tunas and Alazanes de Granma, the champion of the Cuban Nacional Series.
At Estadio Jorge Luis García Carneiro in the seaside city of Macuto, north of capital Caracas, the Curaçao-team lost 3-1 in ten innings.
The stadium is the home of Tiburones de La Guaira of the Professional Venezuelan Baseball League.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, WildCats opened the score off of Cuban-starter Cesar García.
Sharlon Schoop led off with a single and was moved into scoring position via a sacrifice bunt by Dashenko Ricardo.
The team got runners at the corners when Andrelton Simmons followed with a single.
Moments later, Schoop scored on a force play-grounder by Darren Seferina, which led to the elimination of Simmons at second base.
Curaçao got another baserunner when next batter Ray-Patrick Didder reached on an error, but two runners were left behind when Roger Bernadina grounded out.
In the previous at bat, WildCats also had stranded two runners.
Didder then had led off with a single, but Bernadina grounded into a double play.
Jonathan Schoop and Wladimir Balentien then both walked, but the at bat ended when Juremi Profar flied out.
...Sharlon Schoop collected two basehits...
...and scored the lone Curaçao-run...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Curaçao-starter Cody Mincey threw seven solid innings, giving up five basehits and striking out four batters.
Since 2017, the 30-year old, American-born Mincey play professionally.
Since 2021, he plays in the Minor Leagues for Miami Marlins, last year in Double-A and Triple-A.
In the past 2022-23 Winter Season, Mincey pitched for Melbourne Aces in the Australian Baseball League.
With Curaçao leading 1-0, Shairon Martis took over the pitching in the top of the eighth.
Last year, the former Major Leaguer pitched in the Dutch big league for Amsterdam Pirates, but he transfered to Neptunus after the season.
With one out, Martis gave up a homerun to Andres De La Cruz.
The decision then fell in the tenth inning via the international tie-break rule.
Martis had encountered no problems in the ninth inning and returned to the mound.
With Rafael Viñalez as tie-break runner on second base, Martis gave up a lead-off, runscoring single to Guillermo Aviles.
The righthander then walked Dennis Laza and was relieved by Wendell Floranus.
The two runners advanced via a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter b>Dailier Peña.
To set up a force play, next batter Osvaldo Abreu was walked intentionally, but a run was then scored when Floranus walked Yunieski Larduet.
A strikeout and groundout followed, but Cuba led 3-1.
In the bottom of the tenth, Curaçao got its first runner in scoring position since the fifth inning.
That was Dashenko Ricardo as tie-break runner, but he was left behind on second base.
Cuban reliever Andy Vargas (he had entered in the eighth) first got a grounder from Andrelton Simmons.
Hereafter, pinch-hitter Sicnarf Loopstok popped out and Ray-Patrick Didder grounded out to end the game.
Curaçao collected six basehits, including two by Ray-Patrick Didder and Sharlon Schoop.
In this game, Schoop played as centerfielder and rightfielder, instead of at his familie position at short stop.
That position was filled in by Andrelton Simmons.
Three other games were also played on Thursday.
Cañeros de Los Mochis (Mexico) won 5-4 against Tigres del Licey (Dominican Republic), Vaqueros de Montería (Colombia) outscored Indios de Mayagüez (Puerto Rico), 7-1 and Leones del Caracas (Venezuela) defeated Federales de Chiriquí (Panama) in the evening with a 5-2 score.
On Friday-evening, Curaçao meets the Mexican team.
(February 3)
|
