Dominican Republic clinches final spot, joins USA, Venezuela and Canada in WBSC Baseball Americas Qualification Event Super Round
Media Contact: Jason Hendrix, media@playtreasurecoastflorida.com
Play Treasure Coast Sports Tourism contact: Ryan Strickland, 772-380-6221 or rstrickland@playtreasurecoastflorida.com
Photo courtesy of Ryan Dowd
PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. – The Dominican Republic has punched its ticket and will join the United States, Venezuela and Canada in the Super Round of the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualification Event for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo. In partnership with St. Lucie County and Visit St. Lucie, the Play Treasure Coast Sports Commission has served as the event’s host and will host the Super Round championship games on Saturday, June 5.
#15 Nicaragua 3 - #10 Dominican Republic 13 (8 innings) – (Box Score)
In what was a battle for the final spot in Super Round, the Dominican Republic run-ruled Nicaragua 13-3 in the eighth inning to solidify the fourth and final spot in the weekend’s decisive playoff. Nicaragua scored in the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead off a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Jilton Calderon.
The advantage was short lived as the Dominican Republic took its first lead of the game, 2-1, with a two-run home run by right fielder Julio Rodriguez in its half of the first. Not looking back, the 10th-ranked club increased its gap to 5-1 two innings later as centerfielder Luís Liberato sent a two-out, three-run, opposite field home run to deep left field.
In the top of the fourth, Nicaragua chipped down D.R.’s lead to 5-2 with an RBI-single by Norlando Valle. The rally was shot lived as the Dominicans broke things open with a four-run fifth inning, increasing the lead to 9-2. Shortstop Jeison Guzmán made it 7-2 with a two-run double while second baseman Gustavo Núñez added two more insurance runs, 9-2, with a single to right.
In the top of the seventh, Brandon Leyton used a sacrifice fly to drive in Nicaragua’s third and final run of the day, as the fifteenth-ranked squad continued to trail D.R. 9-3.
The Dominican bats went back to work in bottom portion of the seventh as Yefri Pérez and Rodriguez had back-to-back solo home runs, making it 11-3. Rodriguez’s blast in the seventh was his second home run of the day and sixth hit of the tournament. The right-hander went 3-for-5 at the plate, driving in two runs.
The game ended in the bottom of the eighth with a 13-3 run difference rule victory, a 10-run lead after seven innings, in favor of the Dominicans. Designated hitter Juan Francisco led off the inning with a solo home run to dead-center field while Guzmán ended the contest with an RBI-single through the left side of the infield.
#11 Puerto Rico vs. #2 United States
Due to inclement weather in the Port St. Lucie area, the Puerto Rico versus United States game was postponed and rescheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 3. Tickets for Wednesday night’s game will be honored on Thursday at Clover Park.
Group B Results
In the battle of the unbeatens, Venezuela pulled out 5-0 win over Canada to claim the top spot in the Group B pool. Both squads clinched a spot in the Super Round on Tuesday and will advance to the weekend’s decisive series. After a 30-minute rain delay, Venezuela scored first, putting two runs on the scoreboard in the second inning. The eighth-ranked Venezuelans received back-to-back RBI-singles from centerfielder Ramos Flores and third baseman Yonny Hernandez to take the 2-0 lead over #12 Canada. Designated hitter Carlos Pérez added to the Venezuelan lead with a two-run home run in the fourth, making it 4-0. Of note, Venezuela’s scoring effort and early advantage in the second inning was the first time that Canada had trailed in a contest all tournament. Shortstop Juniel Querecuto made it 5-0 in the seventh with a solo home run to right.
The Venezuelan pitching staff, including Enmanuel de Jesus, Oddanier Mosqueda, Harold Chirnos and Henry Centeno, combined for the shutout, holding Canada to just one hit. De Jesus surrendered the lone hit in four innings of work, recording three strikeouts and three walks.
In the final game of the evening, Cuba picked up its lone victory of the tournament, routing Colombia 16-3 in a seven-inning run-rule victory. The Cubans recorded 18 hits in the contest that saw shortstop Erisbel Arruebarruena go 4-for-5 on the night, driving in four runs while scoring twice. Left fielder Raico Santos finished a double shy of the cycle, producing a 3-for-5, four RBI showing at the plate.
Going 1-2 in the opening round, Cuba failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since baseball was recognized as competitive sport, dating back to the Games of the XXV Olympiad in 1992.
Up Next
Moving on to the Super Round are the United States (2-0), Venezuela (3-0), Canada (2-1), and Dominican Republic (2-1). Head-to-head contests among these teams from the opening round will carry over into the Super Round standings. Thursday is a rest day for three of the final four clubs that qualified for the Super Round. The first two games of the Super Round will take place at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach Florida on Friday. On Saturday, June 5, the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualification Event for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020 ends at Clover Park in St. Lucie County.
The team with the best Super Round record will be declared the winner and become the fifth National Team to advance to the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament, joining world #1 Japan, #3 Korea, #5 Mexico and #18 Israel, who have already punched their ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The complete Clover Park schedule for the Baseball Americas Qualification Event for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020 can be accessed below:
Game Schedule at Clover Park
Tickets for the WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier for Tokyo can be purchased by visiting https://oaqbaseball.com. All games are television on ESPN+.
About Play Treasure Coast Sports Tourism
Play Treasure Coast Sports Tourism (formerly Treasure Coast Sports Commission) offers event owners and managers access to outstanding sport facilities, special pricing on hotels from our partners and grants to help fund your event. Located on the East Central Coast of Florida comprising Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin Counties, the Treasure Coast is 45 minutes north of the Palm Beaches and the West Palm Beach International Airport, 90 minutes north of Ft. Lauderdale, 120 minutes north of Miami, and 120 minutes south of Orlando. Play Treasure Coast Sports Tourism is the official home of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, located at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center in Port St. Lucie. For more information, visit
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