The Dominican Republic’s under‑18 baseball team suffered its first loss of the Pan American Sub‑18 Baseball Championship (WBSC Americas/Copabe) after a 16‑1 defeat to the United States. The game was played at the IPL Academy in the municipality of Guerra, and both teams had already secured spots in the tournament’s super round. The United States entered the match as the top seed in Group A, holding a 3‑0 record, while the Dominican Republic was second in the group with a 2‑1 record. United States pitcher George Ferguson delivered a dominant performance, pitching four solid innings, allowing only two singles and one run, issuing one walk and striking out eight batters for a 0.00 earned run average. Dominican pitcher Aneudy Palmero struggled, giving up six hits and six runs over 2 ⅔ innings, walking three batters and striking out one, resulting in a 15.75 ERA. The U.S. team took control in the second inning, scoring five runs. The Dominican Republic’s only run came in the top of the third inning when Wolibel Quezada scored on a sacrifice fly by Ricki Money to right field. The United States added four more runs in the bottom of the third and a further seven in the fourth, sealing the victory and ending the Dominican Republic’s bid to finish the group undefeated. Key contributions for the United States included Graham Houston (4‑3, 3 runs, 2 RBIs), Malachi Buttle (2‑2, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, 1 walk), Sebastian Wilson (triple, 1 run, 3 RBIs), and Aleman Castillo (2‑1, 1 RBI, 3 hits). For the Dominican Republic, Angeni Fernández (2‑1, 1 walk), Alfredo Sena (single in three official turns), and Ricki Money (2‑0, 1 RBI) were highlighted. A ceremonial first pitch was thrown by businessman José Acebal Rizek before the game. Amaurys Nina, owner of IPL Academy, served as the designated hitter, and Miguel Mat
Article source: El Nuevo Diario | Image credit: El Nuevo Diario