The sixth Caribbean Cup opened yesterday, Oct. 23, with three games on day one. Cuba, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, and the Bahamas are all competing in this six-day tournament to be crowned champions. Here is a recap of all the action you missed in the Bahamas.
Game 1: Cuba 9 – St. Maarten 0
In the opener in the tournament, defending champions Cuba dominated St. Maarten 9-0 behind a really strong performance on the mound from starter Jose Ignacio Bermudez. In just five innings, Bermudez mowed down ten Saint Maarteners.
He got some run support in the third inning with two, including one run that came off of a Saint Maarten error. The Cuban lineup added one more each in the fourth and fifth before blowing the game open in the sixth with five runs. Darian Palma Fonseco has a big game for Cuba with three hits, a double, two runs, and an RBI.
The major story of the game came when Cuban designated hitter Jean Lucas Baldoquin was declared out in the seventh inning due to being caught with a bat that was deemed illegal. His team won-handedly but was down Baldoquin for the remainder of the game. After the game, La Cocaba issued an official apology as the bat was deemed legal by the WBSC but not on the list that the officials had at the time. Fortunately for Cuba, this does not cost them a number in the win column, and the team can move on to their next game on Oct. 24 against the Dominican Republic.
Game 2: Curaçao 8 – Dominican Republic 1
In the second game of the day, Curaçao dominated the Dominican Republic with an early offensive punch and a solid starting pitching performance from Misja Harcksen. Curacao had 12 hits to the Dominican Republic’s 10, with the Dominican Republic having four players with two hits. However, the DR did not have a single extra-base hit and could not generate runners in scoring position.
Curacao gave early run support to Harcksen with two runs in the second, three in the third, and two runs in the fourth. A Christian Diaz home run during that stretch was huge as it was Curacao’s only extra-base hit on the day and kept their momentum going.
Anchoring it down for them was Misja Harcksen, who pitched five innings and gave up eight hits, only allowed one run, and struck out four. The DR could not find a consistent pitcher, as they had to use four different pitchers in six innings, with no pitcher throwing more than 2.1 innings. Curaçao showed why they were one of the favorites to win this tournament in their opener and will take on the US Virgin Islands at 3:00 p.m. EST tomorrow.
Game 3: Bahamas 3 – U.S. Virgin Islands 1
After the opening ceremonies, the host nation of the Bahamas took on the U.S. Virgin Islands in a tightly contested matchup to round out the day. The Virgin Islands committed five errors, which was a key factor in the Bahamas winning a tight, two-run matchup.
Yet another team had a dominant performance from their starter, Bahamian lefty Deshaughn Forbes, who pitched a strong seven innings to complete the game, allowing only two hits and one run.
Switch-hitting outfielder and former Brewers minor-leaguer Chavez Young had a great game for the Bahamas, going 2-3 with two runs scored. D’shawn Knowles was another big contributor and had two big RBIs. Knowles is a former prospect of the Los Angeles Angels and represents Great Britain’s national baseball team. Knowles was released this summer by the Angels, but he is still only 23 years old and looking to prove what he can do internationally.
The offensive production led by those two players gave the Bahamas enough of the offensive performance they needed behind Forbes’s arm to win their first game of the cup.
The Bahamas have a unique role in this tournament. They will close out every day of the knockout stage with a 7:00 game at Andre Rodgers Stadium. This young Bahamian team will face off against St. Maarten in the last game of the day in their next matchup on Oct. 24.
The entire tournament will be available to watch on r1live.com. There will be multiple games every day, with three on Oct. 24. Fans can follow along with all tournaments with game recaps of the Caribbean Cup available here at World Baseball Network.
