VENEZUELAN MEN TAKE TITLE
2006-10-10
There may be a new force to be reckoned with on the men’s
international softball scene.
For the second time in just under three months, Venezuela has taken the title in convincing fashion at a major event. This past weekend they were crowned as the top team at the VII Pan American Softball Championship for Men, which took place in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Venezuela defeated Canada, 3-2, in eight innings in the gold medal game, to finish with a 10-1 won-lost record, just over two months after having gone 8-2 en route to winning the title at the XX Central American & Caribbean Sports Games.
Argentina finished third following a 5-1 loss to Canada that sent the latter on to face Venezuela for the gold.
The ten-team tournament was also a qualifier for the International Softball Federation’s (ISF) next Men’s World Championship (2009). The top five finishers in Hermosillo were to gain berths on behalf of the Americas, but with Canada – the ISF event host – having finished second, the sixth place team qualified as well. The tournament that will take place in just over two-and-a-half years (July 17-26) will be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The performance by Venezuela shows great improvement over a 2-5 outing at the last ISF Men’s World Championship, which left them tied for tenth place at an event that saw Canada win the silver medal.
The final standings from Hermosillo:
- Venezuela (10-1)
- Canada (8-4)
- Argentina (6-5)
- USA (6-4)
- Cuba (5-4)
- Puerto Rico (5-4)
- Mexico (4-5)
- Bahamas (4-5)
- Guatemala (2-7)
- British Virgin Islands (0-9)
|
