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Olympic Baseball Recaps: 22 July (Day 3)

Baseball Preliminaries / Game 7

ITA vs. NCA

Nicaragua Defeats Italy:

Erasmo BACA and Anibal VEGA each hit a home run and Fredy COREA struck out 12 (two short of the Olympic record of 14) over eight innings to lead Nicaragua to a 7-2 victory over Italy. Both teams are now 1-1 in the round-robin tournament.

Despite out-hitting the Nicaraguans, 10-5, Italy failed to take advantage of numerous opportunities, leaving runners on base in each of the first seven innings. Nicaragua, on the other hand, benefited from a passed ball and timely hitting to cruise to a five-run victory. After Jorge Luis AVELLAN scored on a passed ball in the first inning, BACA hit a two-run home run to score Henry ROA, who had reached on a fielder's choice one batter earlier. Leading 3-1 in the third inning, back-to-back doubles by Nemesio PORRAS and ROA pushed the fourth run across. BACA then walked to put runners on first and second as VEGA hit a three-run shot.

Claudio LIVERZIANI was the only bright spot for Italy, scoring in the first with the aid of two throwing errors and hitting a solo home run in the third. Nicaraguan starter COREA did his part to hold Italy in check, giving up just two runs on nine hits over eight innings to record the victory. Final Score: NCA 7, ITA 2

"You try to do your job and if things turn out well, everything will be OK," said Nicaragua's Fredy COREA of his 12-strikeout performance against Italy.


Men's Baseball Preliminaries - Game 8

KOR vs. USA

Morris' Three-Run Homer Helps USA over Korea:

In a game featuring seven errors, the USA turned its defensive blunders into gems and Warren MORRIS provided the key hit with a tape-measure home run as the USA downed Korea 7-2.

Deadlocked at 1-1, MORRIS, who hit the game-winning home run in the NCAA Division I College World Series in June, hit a towering shot to centerfield, giving the USA a 4-1 lead. The USA added one run an inning later to increase its advantage. Seth GREISINGER gave up two runs, including a solo home run by KANG Hyuk, over six innings to earn the win. Jeff WEAVER closed the door on the Koreans over the last three innings to earn the save. The USA also added two insurance runs in he seventh and eighth innings.

While MORRIS' home run was the difference, it was the key defensive plays of the USA squad that won the game. GREISINGER had runners on base in each of his six innings, yeilding Korean runs in the fourth and sixth. First, Mark KOTSAY bobbled a single to left by JIN Kab-Young, but followed it by throwing a strike to MORRIS at second to get JIN trying to stretch the leadoff single. Then, Jason WILLIAMS botched a grounder to his left that he recovered as it bounced into short left field, throwing to A.J. HINCH at home to get CHEA Jong-Kook trying to score as HINCH successfully blocked the plate to get the out. And to add insult to injury, trailing 7-2 in the eighth, a potential triple was recorded as a 9-4-5 putout to end the inning. Final Score: USA 7, Korea 2.

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"There were a lot of other people that were key for us today," said Warren MORRIS, when answering a question about comparing the home run to his College World Series shot. "So, I won't even compare them."

Men's Baseball Preliminaries - Game 6

NED vs. AUS

Eight-Run First Inning Helps the Netherlands Down Australia:

The Netherlands jumped on two Australian pitchers for eight runs in the first inning, helping them to a 16-6 victory by the run-difference rule in the eighth inning. The Netherlands improved to 1-1, while Australia dropped to 0-2 in the round-robin tournament.

After opening with a loss to Japan in its first game, the Netherlands scored eight runs on seven hits in the top of the first to produce all the scoring it would need for the victory. Marcel JOOST, who finished 4-for-5 on the day, got the scoring started with a two-RBI double and Adonis KEMP followed one BALENTINA completed the first-inning damage with a single to score CRANSTON.

Netherland starter Rob CORDEMANS went 5.1 innings to earn the win, allowing five runs on six hits, walking five and striking out four. Brothers Tom and Paul NANNE combined to pitch the final 2.2 innings. Final Score: batter later with a three-run home run to right field. Australian starter Simon SHELDON-COLLINS was then lifted for Michael NAKAMURA, who proceeded to surrender a walk and a single to the next two batters before Jeffrey CRANSTON tripled to right field to score both. Randolph Netherlands 16, Australia 6.

"To score eight runs in the first inning, we were very surprised," said Eric de BRUIN, the Australian first baseman.


This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.


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The volunteer staff of the 1996 Olympic Games totaled 50,152. They worked an estimated 850,000 shifts.