(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
        Curaçao misses Bronze in Caribbean Series despite early lead
Nederlands
 MIAMI, Florida (USA) -
Curaçao Suns scored early, led 4-1 halfway the fourth inning, but was lefty-handed, as the team lost 5-4 against Federales de Chiriquí from Panama on Friday-afternoon (February 9) in the Bronze Medal-game of the 66th edition of the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe).
On Friday-evening, Tigres del Licey from the Dominican Republic and Tiburones de La Guaira from Venezuela will face each other in the Final.
Curaçao opened the annual event on Thursday with a 6-5 win against Naranjeros de Hermosillo from Mexico.
On Friday, the team lost 7-3 against Federales de Chiriquí from Panamá.
The next day, Curaçao lost 4-2 against Tiburones de La Guaira from Venezuela.
On Monday, Curaçao recovered and won 6-3 against Gigantes de Rivas from Nicaragua.
On Tuesday, Curaçao lost only 2-0 against Tigres del Licey from the Dominican Republic.
On Wednesday, Curaçao recorded a 2-0 shutout against Criollos de Caguas from Puerto Rico to reach the Semi-Final.
On Thursday, Curaçao failed to hold onto an early 2-0 lead and lost 6-2 against Tiburones de La Guaira from Venezuela in the Semi-Final.
This year, the annual event was played in Miami, Florida (USA), where all games were played in LoanDepot Park, the home of Miami Marlins.
Seven teams participate in this years tournament, who all are the champions of their respective professional leagues: Criollos de Caguas (Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rico), Curaçao Suns (Curaçao Professional Baseball), Federales de Chiriquí (Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá), Gigantes de Rivas (Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Nicaragua), Naranjeros de Hermosillo (Liga Mexicana del Pacifico, Mexico), Tiburones de La Guaira (Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional, Venezuela) and Tigres del Licey (Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana, Dominican Republic).
The teams from Puerto Rico, Mexico and Nicaragua were eliminated for the Semi-Finals.
...Jonathan Schoop homered...
...On the photo, he is with the Netherlands during...
...the 2023 World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
On Friday-afternoon, Curaçao was retired in order by Panamanian starter Heitor Tokar, but in the second inning, the Brazilian righthander gave up a run on three consecutive singles.
With one out, Juremi Profar and Didi Gregorius singled, which led to runners on first and third base.
Ademar Rifaela followed with a runscoring single, but thereafter, a double play ended the at bat.
Panama left a runner behind on second base in its first at bat off of starter Scott Prins.
The Dutch righthander gave up a lead-off single to Edgard Muñoz, who moved into scoring position via a wild pitch.
But the next three batters were retired.
In the second inning, Prins gave up the tying run.
With one out, he gave up a single to Johan Camargo and walked Johnny Santos.
The latter was forced out, but hereafter, Camargo scored when Joshwan Wright reached on an error.
Curaçao immediately answered with three runs in the top of the second to re-take the lead.
Darren Seferina opened with a single and was able to score all the way from first base on a following single by Roger Berndina.
With two outs, Jonathan Schoop hit a 2-run homerun, which lifted the lead to 4-1.
When next batter Juremi Profar singled, a pitching change followed.
Samuel Burgos took over and got a grounder, which ended this productive at bat for Curaçao.
Prins retired the side in the bottom of the third, but then gave up two runs in the fourth.
In the top of the fourth, Curaçao left runners behind on first and second base.
In the bottom of the fourth, Panama came back with two runs.
Prins gave up a lead-off single to former Major League-veteran Rubén Tejada, then walked current Major League-Free Agent Johan Camargo.
Both advanced on a comeback-grounder.
Tejada then scored on a grounder by Ricardo Cespedes and Camargo scored on a following single by Joshwan Wright, which narrowed Curaçao's lead to 4-3.
That ended the afternoon for Prins on the mound.
Prins, who is on the roster of Dutch champion Amsterdam Pirates, was relieved by Cody Mincey.
The righthanded American got an inning-ending pop-fly.
Curaçao was retired in order in both the fifth and sixth inning.
Panama also was retired in order in the fifth, but then got the bases loaded in the sixth inning and erased the deficit.
Again, Rubén Tejada and Johan Camargo were involved.
Both opened the at bat with singles and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Johnny Santos.
A force play was created by walking Ricardo Cespedes intentionally.
Moments later, Tejada scored the tying on a sacrifice fly by Joshwan Wright, which also moved Camargo to third base.
Cespedes then stole second base.
Mincey closed with a strikeout, but it now was a new ball-game.
After Curaçao was retired in order for the third time in a row in the top of the seventh inning, Panama took the lead in its seventh at bat.
With one out, Mincey gave up a homerun to Ivan Herrera, which made it a 5-4 score.
With two outs, the righthander gave up a single to Rubén Tejada and was relieved by Cerilio Soleana.
He got force play-grounder, but the game had turned around.
After ten Curaçao-batters had been retired in order, Wladimir Balentien led off the eighth inning with a single.
The veteran was replaced by pinch-runner Edmond Americaan, who stole second base with one out.
He was unable to advance on a single into short centerfield by Juremi Profar.
A pitching-change followed, as Ronald Ramirez took over from starter Heitor Tokar.
He got a flyout from Didi Gregorius, then caught a pop-fly himself from Ademar Rifaela.
In the bottom of the eighth, Panama got some baserunners, but was unable to add another run.
With one out, Ricardo Cespedes doubled.
Anthony Herrera then took over the pitching and saw Cespedes being eliminated on a fielder's choice-grounder by Joshwan Wright.
Next batter Edgard Muñoz singled, but Herrera closed with a strikeout.
In its final at bat, Curaçao got only one more baserunner off of closer Severino González.
With one out, Darren Seferina reached on an error.
But hereafter, Roger Bernadina flied out and Jurickson Profar struckout.
That ended the game, meaning Curaçao was left empty-handed, despite a 4-1 lead halfway the fourth inning.
(February 9)
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