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Olympic Baseball Recaps: 29 July (Day 10)

Baseball Preliminaries/Game 25

KOR vs. JPN

Japan Wins 14-4 Over Korea

Nobuhiko MATSUNAKA went 3-for-4 with a home run to lead Japan to a 14-4 victory over Korea. The game was ended in the bottom of the seventh inning due to the international run-differential rule. Japan improved to 3-3, while Korea dropped to 1-5. Each team has one game remaining in the round-robin preliminaries.

After Korea had taken an early one-run advantage, Japan built its lead with four consecutive multi-run innings. Scoring two runs in the third, Japan followed with three-run innings in both the fourth and sixth. They added a five-run fifth that was sandwiched in between. Tadahito IGUCHI, who finished 4-for-4, singled in MATSUNAKA for the 14th run to end the game in the Japan half of the seventh.

Masanori SUGIURA was the winning pitcher for Japan. Korea will complete its round-robin play against Australia at 20:00 on 30 August and Japan will take on Italy with a spot in the medal round at stake at 15:00 on the same date.

Final Score: JPN 14, KOR 4.


Baseball Preliminaies/Game 24

NCA vs. CUB

Cuba Comeback Defeats Nicaragua 8-7

Nicaragua led four different times in the game, but Omar LINARES' RBI single in bottom of the eighth gave Cuba an 8-7 come-from-behind victory. Cuba remained undefeated at 7-0 heading into the medal round, while Nicaragua dropped to 4-3.

Nicaragua challenged the 140-game winning streak of international power Cuba all day. Nicaragua jumped out with a run in the top of the first and three in the third to lead 4-2. But, the powerful Cuban squad matched their run production throughout the game via the home run. Cuba, which had scored its first runs on a two-run homer by Antonio PACHECO in the second, added solo shots by Luis ULACIA and Omar LINARES to tie the game in the third. Each team would post a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, a two run round-tripper by Nicaragua and two solo shots by Cuba, to send the game into the eighth at 7 all. Overall, Cuba hit five home runs on the day.

Winner Pedro Luis LAZO ended a Nicaraguan rally in the top of the inning, inducing an inning-ending groundout with two aboard to setup Cuba's game-winning opportunity. After two outs had been recorded in the bottom half of the inning, ULACIA knocked a double to right-centerfield. LINARES followed with the game winner to extend Cuba's winning streak in international tournament play to 141.

Final Score: CUB 8, NCA 7.

"Even though Cuba is the best team in the world," said Nicaragua's Henry ROA. "I think they have a lot of respect for us when we play them."


Baseball Preliminaies/Game 23

NED vs. ITA

The Netherlands Holds Off Italy 8-7

Italy brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth before falling 8-7 to the Netherlands in a game with-medal-round implications. Italy (2-4), fighting for the fourth spot in the medal round, now needs a win over Japan on 31 July to have a chance to advance. The Netherlands, which faces the United States on 31 July, improved to 2-4 in a tie for fifth place.

The Netherlands jumped out to a quick start in the first inning with three runs on an RBI single by Marcel JOOST, and RBI doubles by Marcel KRUYT and Adonis KEMP. Winning pitcher Rob CORDEMANS allowed four runs over 6.1 innings, while recording seven strikeouts.

Leading 5-4 in the ninth, the Dutch added three insurance runs in the top of the inning to build its lead to 8-4. But, Italy got a three-run home run off the bat of Marco UBANI to close the gap. With one out and two on, Paul NANNE got Francesco CASOLARI, who had hit a two-run homer in the fourth, to ground into a game-ending double play as the Netherlands prevailed.

Final Score: NED 8, ITA 7.

"It was about time we won a ball game," said Dutch head coach Jan Dick LEURS. "I'm still very disappointed about the other games we did not win."


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


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Pin trading was one of the most popular Olympic sports, with more than 1.2 million pins changing hands during the Games in the Coca Cola Pin Trading Center at Centennial Olympic Park.