Eight pitchers combined to cover nine innings and Alexis Amarista reached base five times to lead Venezuela to a 9-3 win over the Netherlands on the second date of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) hotball final qualifier to Olympic Games.
Venezuela concluded the first round with a 1-1 record, while the Netherlands went 0-1 with a pending match against the Dominican Republic (1-0), scheduled for Thursday.
The first place winner will advance straight to the final on Saturday, while the other two will clash on Friday to define the second runner-up. The winner of the playoffs at the Hermanos Serdán stadium in Puebla, Mexico, will join the United States, South Korea, Japan, Israel and Mexico in the mini baseball championship of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Amarista, who hit two solo home runs in Tuesday’s loss to the Dominican Republic, was 2-2 with three walks, two runs scored and an RBI off Dutch pitching. Outfielders Alexander Palma and Diego Rincones drove in two runs each and third baseman Hernán Pérez added two hits for the South American troop, who hit 13 hits.
Outfielder Jiandido Tromp had three of seven hits and scored one of the runs for the team led by Hensley Muelens. Second baseman Sharlon Schoop homered off a teammate in the ninth.
In the first inning, off Dutch left-hander Diegomar Markwell, Amarista walked, Pérez singled to shortstop, Danry Vázquez bunt advanced them and Palma drove in both with a double. The Venezuelans left the bases loaded against a Markwell that appeared to be close to collapse.
Vázquez pushed Amarista with a sacrifice fly in the second inning and consecutive doubles by Diego Rincones and Gorkys Hernández produced two laps in the fifth act. A four-race rally in the ninth inning ensured the victory for the South Americans.
Venezuelan manager José Alguacil was forced to use the bullpen from the second inning because starter Jonathan Díaz injured his knee while fielding a ground ball in the first inning. Henry Centeno worked one inning, Eduardo Paredes and Danny Rondón two each, while Freddy Pacheco, Harold Chirinos, Arcenio León and Kendel Villegas took care of the rest.
The Netherlands scored their first touchdown in the close of the sixth inning against Rondón. Tromp and center fielder Roger Bernardina hit back-to-back hits and first baseman Juremi Profar drove Tromp on a sacrifice fly. Schoop took the ball out of the park against Leon.
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