Central American Games: Nicaragua win gold in baseball; El Salvador in women's softball
The Central American Games 2025 came to an end this past weekend in Guatemala, after 15 days of strong competition. In the baseball event, Nicaragua claimed the gold medal, going undefeated in the single round robin; while El Salvador stunned Guatemala to clinch the regional women's softball title.
The baseball tournament featured five teams competing in a single round robin. World No. 16 Nicaragua went undefeated in four games at the Enrique Torrebiarte Stadium to secure the gold medal, followed by No. 46 Costa Rica (silver) and No. 53 Honduras (bronze). No. 59 El Salvador (fourth place) and No. 49 Guatemala (fifth) completed the standings.
The Nicaraguan team not only remained undefeated but also demonstrated overwhelming dominance, allowing just one run in four games — recording victories of 11-0 against Honduras, 10-0 against El Salvador, and 7-1 against Guatemala.
American manager Dusty Baker, appointed to lead Nicaragua in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, attended the games at the stadium but left the team’s on-field management to his coaching staff.
In the women’s softball event, World No. 38 El Salvador captured the gold medal after defeating hosts No. 41 Guatemala 10-8 in the final.
El Salvador entered the playoffs as the second seed and began their postseason run against the hosts in a matchup decided in extra innings. Guatemala prevailed 8-7 and advanced directly to the final, forcing El Salvador to take the longer path to gold.
In an elimination game against Panama, El Salvador fell behind 5-0 in the first three innings but mounted a strong comeback in the fourth, producing six runs en route to a decisive 12-5 victory, which earned them another shot at Guatemala in the championship game. Panama finished with the bronze medal.
In the gold medal game, El Salvador came out on top 10-8, capturing the Central American title in thrilling fashion. Nicaragua (fifth), Belize (sixth) and Honduras (seventh) completed the final standings.