Surprising Curacao over USA, Holland beats Japan – OA Sport

In some ways Harlem Baseball Week 2022 ended up being a surprise. Holland avenges last night’s defeat by defeating Japan, while Curaçao’s victory takes on a completely unexpected character, considering that until a few weeks ago it was not supposed to participate (Taiwan, who entered to replace Chinese Taipei).

In the afternoon, Curacao showed that yesterday’s 3-2 win over the USA was no fluke. The reason is very simple: the day changes, but not the result. And it comes at the end of three extra innings, making it a tough matchup. On Von Kurb’s first out of the fourth inning, Langford responded in the sixth, hitting a certain combination: the base of a crazy ball.

Eighth Fiery Shot: Deal is hit by solid decks at the top, so Cruz automatically completes the diamond round. 2-2 immediately came from Windsor, which was started by Carolina’s single. As mentioned, three extra rounds were needed, and in the tenth, with the bases still full, Windster struck: a fatal mistake, as it meant 3-2 Curacao.

Baseball, Harlem Week 2022: Italy loses head-to-head clash against Cuba to finish sixth

Holland wins the second semi-final and they do it in unexpected fashion: at the return and at the end. Thanks to Yasawa’s happy instincts and defensive error, Hayashi immediately scored to make it 1-0. Everything seems to be going smoothly, in fact until the last lap, when the unthinkable happens: Kemp and Schoop doubles to make it 1-1, Lupstock singles to left and Kemp throws Pim Mulier.

Tomorrow is the Netherlands-Curaçao final at 19:00 and the low-key USA-Japan final at 14:00. Italy are in sixth place after losing 5-1 to Cuba in the afternoon.

Photo: FIBS / K73 NADOC