With the victory over Nicaragua, the Vinotinto ninth remains undefeated and seals its qualification to the next phase of the World Baseball Classic.

This Tuesday Venezuela and Nicaragua faced each other in the third day of Group D of the World Baseball Classic, an encounter that ended with a 4-1 victory for the Vinotinto ninth, consolidating their leadership in the pool.

For Venezuela, Eduardo Rodríguez was the starter, while for Nicaragua, Erasmo Ramírez started. The Venezuelan left-handed pitcher got complicated in the very first episode when with two hits and a ticket he filled the bases, however a double play saved the inning, but in the second inning Nicaragua came back and again with the bases loaded Steven Leyton brought the first for the Central Americans with a ground ball for Norlando Valle to score. The Venezuelan pitcher was able to solve the rest of the inning without allowing any more runs.

In the fourth inning, the Vinotinto response arrived, starting with Luis Arráez who got on base with a ticket, Ronald Acuña missed with a ground ball to third that ended up with an out at second but got safely to first to later steal the base and get into scoring position, Anthony Santander received a ground ball and a hit by Andrés Giménez brought Acuña home to tie the game.

But the Venezuelan offense did not end there and a single by Eugenio Suarez brought Gimenez and Santander to the rubber for the second and third runs for the South Americans.

Santander in the fifth inning brought the fourth for Venezuela with a double to center field that drove in Luis Rengifo at the plate.

In the top of the seventh José Quijada went to the mound and after two outs received a double from Montes, who then moved to third on a wild pitch, however he was able to get the zero out in the inning and Silvino Bracho ended the eighth with no movement on the board.

In Nicaragua’s last offensive opportunity, José Alvarado came out to close the game which ended with two strikeouts for the first two outs and despite receiving a double from Rodolfo Bone, he finished the inning dominating Montes with a fly to center field.

In this way Venezuela consolidates its position at the top of group D and will seek to close its group phase undefeated when it faces Israel on March 15 in the last day of the pool.

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