The Selection of Venezuela took a big step in his plan to reach the Final of the Super Round of the Premier12 2024 organized by the WBSC (World Baseball Softball and Baseball, for its acronym in English), after it beat Chinese Taipei 2-0 in its first game of the final stage.
It was a home run in the fourth inning by the catcher. Carlos Perez that he connected with the first pitch he saw from starter Tzu-Peng Huan, which not only broke the zero on the scoreboard but also became the hit that gave direction to the first meeting of both squads.
He Tokyo Dome opened its doors for the second stage of the tournament Premier 12where each team will play three games, welcoming Venezuela and Chinese Taipei, who engaged in an intense pitching duel where Pérez’s home run was the only thing the offenses could do.
“I was looking for a breaking pitch. He threw me a slider that was within my reach enough for me to make good contact,” Pérez explained after the game.
Venezuela, Chinese Taipei, Japan and the United States are the countries that are competing in the Super Round of this tournament, where there are three days (three games per team) and at the end the first two places in the standings will compete. Final, while site 3 and 4 will face each other for the third site.
“I could say that that pitch was the only mistake that the pitchers of both teams had in the game,” explained the manager of the Venezuelan squad, Omar López. “It was a great game overall. Chinese Taipei had a great opportunity to score in the fifth roll but Pedro García managed to get the last out with a full house.”
The starting pitchers of both teams, Nivaldo Rodriguez (Venezuela) and Tsu-Peng Huang (Chinese Taipei), worked the first three innings without allowing a score and it was not until the fourth inning when the magic was broken.
In that chapter, Ramón Flores reached base with a single after having an eight-pitch at-bat against Huang, and then Carlos Pérez came to the batter’s box, who hit the 2-0 home run with the first pitch.
In the fifth inning, the best opportunity for the Chinese Taipei squad presented itself when they filled the bases, but they left with a blank thanks to the work of the right-hander, Pedro García.
GAMES OF THE SECOND DAY OF THE PREMIER 12
Thursday, November 21
- Chinese Taipei vs United States (9 p.m. central Mexico)
Friday, November 22
- Venezuela vs Japan (4 hours from central Mexico)
Now, the Venezuelan squad is tied for first place with the Japanese team, which beat the United States on this first day, so that both teams have a 1-0 record, and now they will face each other on the second day of actions. Seventh Entry
