Nicaragua overcome China in pitching duel, win bronze

World No. 17 Nicaragua won the rematch against No. 24 China, 3-1, securing the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2024 bronze medal. This is the best result ever for the programme in this age bracket.

Nicaragua lost the three games of the Super Round, including Saturday's head-to-head with China, after dominating the Opening Round.

"It's been a sort of a rollercoaster," commented manager Anibal Vega at the end of the closing ceremony. "We started real well, then we did bad. In the end, we got where we wanted to be."

Nicaragua relied on strong pitching. Starter Stanling Orozco gave his team six solid innings, allowing only one run on five hits. Bryan Torres allowed a walk in a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

Designated hitter Enmanuel Aburto got two of the team's six hits.

Nicaragua didn't waste time to get to right-hander Juyun Lin. Junior Ortega reached on a one-out drag bunt. Lin allowed a two-out walk to Godwin Bennett, and first baseman Enmanuel Trujillo lined an 0-2 pitch into the gap in right-centre for a two-RBI triple.

Nicaragua added a run in the top of the third against reliever Xiang Wang. The left-hander walked Odlanyer Matamoros, and Junior Ortega bunted him to second. Bennett made it a 3-0 game with an RBI single to right-centre.

China got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Xudong Zhu reached on a one-out single and advanced to second when Orozco hit Tyanyuan Hu. Yi Zhou sent him home with an RBI single.

Catcher Shuai Wang prevented Nicaragua from scoring with a brave plate at the home plate in the top of the fourth. Aburto led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Fardy Tobal tried to squeeze him home, but reliever Xiang Wang was quick to get to the ball and flip it to Shuai Wang, who held to the ball after the tag. The call stood after an on-field review.

Mingxin Zhang led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, making the next batter the potential tying run. Nicaragua called Bryan Torres from the bullpen.

The right-hander got the first out on strikes but allowed Mingxin Zhang to reach second on a passed ball. He walked pinch-hitter Hangang Hou, the potential tying run, with two outs.

With Mingxin Zhang at second and pinch-runner Yupei Song at first, Tianyuan Hu became the potential winning run for China. Torres got him to ground out with his fifth pitch and picked the save.