VENEZUELA WINS TWO GOLDS
2006-07-31

Two days ago in Cartagena, Colombia, the Venezuelan women’s national softball team put themselves in a good position as they start turning their sights toward the International Softball Federation’s (ISF)
XI Women’s World Championship in Beijing, China, that begins four weeks from yesterday with Venezuela and 15 other teams competing. It took an extra inning, but Venezuela – despite being held to just two hits – capitalized on four Cuba errors en route to a 2-1 victory Saturday in the gold medal game at the XX Central American & Caribbean Sports Games in Cartagena, Colombia. The loss was Cuba’s first after winning all seven round robin games and its semifinal playoff game.

Venezuela appeared headed for their second shutout victory of the day, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning that Cuba couldn’t answer until the top of the seventh. Venezuela finished with an 8-2 won-lost record.

The game was a rematch of the two teams’ semifinal clash the day before, which Cuba won, 1-0.

Earlier Saturday, Venezuela had advanced to the gold medal game with a 2-0 win over the Dominican Republic, leaving the latter (6-3) with the bronze medal. The Dominicans had advanced with a 1-0, eight-inning victory over Colombia in a semifinal game on Friday.

Other participants in the women’s competition (in order of finish) were El Salvador and Puerto Rico (tied, with 3-4 won-lost records), the Bahamas (1-6), and Guatemala (0-7).

On July 23, Venezuela had won the gold medal in the men’s softball competition, defeating Cuba, 7-2. The Dominican Republic took home the bronze medals after falling to Venezuela, 2-1.

In the gold medal game, Cuba was protecting a 2-0 lead that had been built by single tallies in the first and third innings, before the floodgates opened and Venezuela scored six times in the bottom of the fifth before adding an insurance run one inning later.

The final standings in men’s play were:

Team (won-lost record)
Venezuela (8-2)
Cuba (7-2)
Dominican Republic (6-3)
Bahamas (3-5)
Mexico (3-4)
Puerto Rico (3-4)
Guatemala (1-6)
Colombia (1-6)