July 12, 2007 — Panama beat Puerto Rico 13-11 Wednesday to remain the only undefeated team in the 2007 Latin American Big League Baseball Tournament.
The Puerto Ricans led 11-5 after four innings, but sloppy defense on their part allowed the Panamanians to score eight runs in the last two inning to pull out the victory.
After a scoreless first inning, Puerto Rico grabbed an early 2-0 lead after plating two runs in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run double off the bat of pitcher Geancalo Velez. Panama tied the game in the top of the third with two unearned runs.
Puerto Rico answered in the bottom of the inning with three runs on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Raul Vega and a two-run single off the bat of Velez to lead 5-2 after three complete innings.
Panama came right back to tie the game in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs on a two-run single off the bat of Joel Frias and a wild pitch. Puerto Rico then exploded for what looked like a game-winning six runs in the bottom of the inning to lead 11-5. They would fail to score after that, however, and the stage was set for Panama’s late-inning heroics. Puerto Rico scored six runs on RBI singles by Fernando Garcia and Jorge Sanabria and a three-run homer off the bat of Daniel Ortiz.
After a scoreless fifth, Panama began its comeback by erupting for six runs in the top of the sixth on RBI singles by Victor Vasquez, Jose Bravo, Ovidio Dias, Frias and some Puerto Rico miscues to tie the game at 11.
Panama then sealed the deal by plating two more runs in the top of the seventh inning on an error by the Puerto Rican second baseman and an RBI single off the bat of Geraldo Batista to go up 13-11. Puerto Rico then went three up and three down to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Vasquez pitched two strong innings of relief to pick up the victory, while Roberto Torres got the loss for Puerto Rico. Top hitters for Panama were Vasquez and Diaz, 2 for 3 with one RBI apiece; Virgilio Castillo, 2 for 3 with three RBIs; and Batista, 3 for 4 with one RBI. Puerto Rico was led offensively by Ortiz, who went 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs; Velez, 2 for 3 with four RBIs; and Garcia, 2 for 4 with one RBI.
Venezuela 7, Curacao 6
In the day’s early contest, Venezuela outlasted Curacao 7-6 to keep the men from the Netherlands Antilles winless in tournament play. Roger Carrasquero picked up the win on the hill for Venezuela, while Kevin Hennep got the loss for Curacao. Top hitters for Venezuela were Ruben Bravo, 2 for 3 with one RBI, and Aaron Ballesteros and Robert Guillen, both 1 for 3. For Curacao, Shurendy Mariano went 3 for 3, Argenis Daal went 1 for 3 with two RBIs, Angelo Bito went 1 for 3 with a home run and one RBI and Frensly Martina went 2 for 4.
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