Baseball World Cup Pool F, Haarlem:
Netherlands – Venezuela 8-5
VEN 000 300 020 5 8 2 NED 012 121 10X 8 13 1
The Netherlands are working on their next master piece. On Thursday in Haarlem they out-hit Venezuela 8-5 and improved to 4-0 in the second round of the Baseball World Cup. The Dutch team scored runs in each frame between the second and the seventh to decide the outcome, although Venezuela stayed close until the end.
Sharlon Schoop drove in three. Sidney de Jong crossed the plate four times. Rene Reyes hit his second homerun of the tournament for the squad of manager Jose Lobaton. Lino Connell went four-for-five. Alexander Smit (NED) gave up five hits, three runs and four bb in 3 2/3 innings. David Bergman picked up the win in relief. Junior Guerra took the loss, surrendering six hits, six runs (4 ER) and four walks in four-plus innings.
After winning the first four games of the World Cup in a row, Venezuela has lost the last three.