After Friday’s action only two more days are left in the 2010 Intercontinental Cup, which will end on Sunday. Cuba clinched its spot in the championship game with a victory over Japan, staying undefeated in the tournament and improving to 4-0 in the medal round. They will play either the Netherlands or host Taiwan in the final. Taiwan beat Italy on Friday, which leaves the European Champion watching the title game from the outside. The Dutch team downed South Korea on Friday and can advance to the championship game with a victory over Taiwan on Saturday. In the classification round, the Czech Republic and Nicaragua won on Friday and will play for seventh place. Thailand and Hong Kong will battle for ninth.
2010 Intercontinental Cup, Day 7, Friday, October 29:
Medal Round:
Cuba – Japan 4-1
JPN 001 000 000 1 6 0 CUB 002 100 10X 4 14 0 Win: Gonzalez, Y.; Loss: Kaga, S.
Cuba stayed undefeated in the Intercontinental Cup thanks to a 4-1 victory over Japan. After Team Nippon took the lead in the top of the third when Yuhei Nakamura scored on a wild pitch, the record champion answered with a RBI double by Giorvis Duvergel and a sac fly by Alexei Bell in the bottom of the frame. RBI singles by Ariel Pestano and Bell in the fourth and seventh provided insurance runs. Yulieski Gonzalez (W 2-0) struck out twelve batters in seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits and a walk. Shigeru Kaga (L 1-1) gave up four runs on twelve hits and a bb in 6 1/3 frames.
Netherlands – South Korea 3-1
KOR 000 100 000 1 6 0 NED 200 010 00X 3 5 2 Win: Bergman, D.; Loss: Ko, W. J.
The Dutch National Team kept its chances for the final alive with a 3-1 win over South Korea on Friday. A two-run triple by Sharlon Schoop in the opening frame delivered an early 2-0 cushion. After Korea’s Joo Hwan Choi tripled and scored on an error by shortstop Mariekson Gregorius in the fourth, a bases loaded walk by Curt Smith in the bottom of the fifth regained the two-run advantage for the Netherlands. Leon Boyd (NED) gave up an unearned run on five hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out six. David Bergman (W 2-0) replaced him in the fifth and earned his second win of the tourney with 4 2/3 innings of one-hit relief. Wong Jun Ko (L 1-1) issued four hits, three runs and three bb in five innings.
Taiwan – Italy 6-2
ITA 020 000 000 2 7 2 TPE 320 010 00X 6 11 3 Win: Pan, W.L.; Loss: Patrone, S.
Italy is not going to play in the final of the Intercontinental Cup. Taiwan scored five runs in the first two innings en route to a 6-2 win, handing the team of manager Marco Mazzieri its second loss of the tournament. The host chased Italy’s starter Sandy Patrone (L 1-1) with three hits, three runs and two walks with two outs in the opening frame. The Squadra Azzurri answered with a two-run single by Alessandro Vaglio in the second inning, but Taiwan regained its three-run lead in the bottom of the same period. They also were able to add another run in the fifth, while Italy couldn’t score anymore. Wei-Lun Pan (W 1-0) struck out eight batters in seven innings, allowing two unearned runs on five hits for the win.
Standings Medal Round:
- Cuba 4-0
- Taiwan 3-1
- Netherlands 2-2
- Italy 2-2
- Japan 1-3
- South Korea 0-4
Classification Round:
Czech Republic – Thailand 13-3 (7)
THA 100 020 0 3 4 4 CZE 110 604 1 13 12 1 Win: Minarik, P.; Loss: Kamolphan, K.
The Czech Republic scored six runs in the fourth inning to blow the 13-3 victory against Thailand in game one of the classification round wide open. Nine different players scored for the Czech team. Jakub Vojak went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and three RBI. Pavel Budsky collected three hits and two RBI. Petr Minarik (W 2-1) received the win in relief of Leos Kubat, who had issued two hits, a run and two walks in four innings. Kanjanavis Kamolphan (L 0-3) surrendered eight hits, eight runs (6 ER) and five bb in four innings.
Nicaragua – Hong Kong 12-2 (7)
HOK 100 000 1 2 3 4 NIC 031 124 1 12 15 2 Win: Tellez Vanegas, J.; Loss: Chow, T. P.
In the second game of the classification round Nicaragua beat up Hong Kong 12-2 in seven innings. Cesar Riva Granera went 2-for-3 with a homerun, three runs scored and a RBI. Wiston Davila Calvo drove in two. Jos Tellez Vanegas (W 1-0) gave up three hits, a run and a walk in five innings, striking out seven. Ta Pong Chow (L 0-2) conceded 14 hits, eleven runs (8 ER) and a bb in 5 2/3 innings.
Schedule:
Saturday, October 30:
Medal Round:
- 6.30am Netherlands – Taiwan
- 8am Cuba – Italy
- 12.30pm Japan – South Korea
Game for 9th Place:
- 6.30am Thailand – Hong Kong
Game for 7th Place:
- 12.30pm Czech Republic – Nicaragua
(Times are European Central Time)
Complete Schedule and Live Play by Play on IBAF.org
Photo: © Ezio Ratti, FIBS