Four teams in hunt for gold at Pan Am Games men’s softball event, baseball underway
After five days of competition, the playoffs are set to begin at the men’s softball competition of the Pan American Games Lima 2019. Argentina and USA advanced as the top two teams and will play for a spot in the final, while Cuba and Mexico will face each other in a win or go home game.
Yesterday Cuba secured the third place in the round robin with a 3-0 victory over Venezuela in the first game of the day. An RBI single by Juan Rodriguez in the third inning and a 2-run homer by Roger Rosete in the fourth were enough to secure the victory. Alain Roman claimed the win with a 5-inning, 1-hit start, while the loser of the game was Maiker Pimentel.
In the second game of the day, USA clinched the second place in the standings and earned a double life in the playoffs. Both Erick Ochoa and Matt Palazzo went yard while right-hander Tony Mancha fanned nine through five innings of work. For Mexico Ruben Delgadillo and Daniel Durazo homered in the fourth, while Carlos Ordaz was charged with the loss, lasting only 1.1 innings.
In the final match of the round robin, the reigning world champion Argentina defeated host Peru, 13-0, and advanced undefeated to the playoffs. Juan Potolicchio tossed a no-hitter, with 10 strikeouts, while Teo Migliavacca excelled with the bat, with two dingers and 5 RBIs.
Today, Wednesday 31 July, Argentina, USA, Cuba, and Mexico will start the page system playoffs. At 10 a.m. local time, Cuba and Mexico will play a single-elimination game with the winner remaining alive in the tournament and securing a medal. At 2 p.m. Argentina will take on USA, and the winner will advance to the final. Both teams have already secured a medal in Lima.
Venezuela and Peru have been eliminated in the competition.
Baseball Opening Round at halfway point
At the halfway point of the group’s stage of the Pan American Games baseball competition, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico lead Group A with 1-0 record, while Canada and Colombia remain on top of Group B, with two wins and no losses. The top two teams in each group will advance to the Super Round.
In Group A, Dominican Republic defeated Peru on Monday, 10-3 while Puerto Rico won yesterday its opener against Nicaragua, 7-3.
In Group B, Canada and Colombia won their first two games against Cuba and Argentina, and have already qualified to the Super Round. Both teams will play tomorrow their last opening-round game, and the winner will advance with a positive record to the Super Round.
The Super Round will be played on Friday and Saturday, with the Gold Medal and the Bronze Medal games to be played on Sunday 4 August.
The post Four teams in hunt for gold at Pan Am Games men’s softball event, baseball underway appeared first on WBSC.