(Press Release; WBSC AMERICAS BASEBALL).- The U23 World Cup opened the Super Round with a close
and hard-fought 1-0 victory for Puerto Rico against Nicaragua to take the top
of the standings.
Venezuela
fell to world number one Japan by a score of 5 to 1, while Colombia was unable
to against Chinese Taipei, which defeated them by a shutout of 10 to 0.
Puerto
Rico had just three hits, but managed to make the run at the right time, one in
the top of the seventh ended up being enough to confirm a stellar pitching
performance by Jorhan Laboy.
Laboy
pitched 6.1 innings in which he allowed three hits, with a walk and eight
strikeouts, while Luis Rivera completed the game to earn the save in 0.2
innings in which he struck out one.
Venezuela
could not beat Japan falling 5 to 1, Brayan Medina was defeated in 2.2 innings
in which he allowed three hits, two earned runs, walking four and striking out
five opponents.
For
its part, Colombia failed in the Placement Round when they fell 10 to 0 against
Chinese Taipei, despite seven hits, they could not bring runs to the plate.
Part
of the reason was because no Colombian player could get more than one hit,
seven different players got hits, but they couldn't make it count on the
scoreboard.
The
Super Round will continue with Nicaragua playing at home against Japan, Puerto
Rico will host Korea and Venezuela will host China. In the Placement Round
Colombia will be a visitor against the Netherlands.
(Media Department; Guillermo Yáber Llanos)
