TEAM Bahamas (men’s national baseball team) suffered their first loss of the Caribbean Baseball Cup last night. Curaçao outlasted the home team 12-10 in the newly constructed Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium. Photo: Austin Fernander/Tribune Staff
By RENALDO DORSETT
Tribune Sports Reporter
rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
An early 10-run deficit was too much for Team Bahamas to overcome as they suffered their first loss of the 2022 Caribbean Baseball Cup.
Curaçao outlasted the home team 12-10 in last night’s finale at the Andre Rodgers National Stadium.
In the highest scoring game of the tournament thus far, Warren Saunders went 2-4 with a run and three RBI, Adari Grant was 1-3 with a run and two RBI, Kristin Munroe drove in two RBI, Daunte Stuart scored a run with two RBI and Jay Knowles went 1-2 with a run.
The Bahamas got off to a slow start in the opening inning offensively after the top of the lineup was retired in order, and defensively as starting pitcher Robin Haven struggled on the mound.
After a pair of base hits, Curaçao scored on a sacrifice fly for the game’s first run.
Haven walked in another run and surrendered an additional two runs on wild pitches.
With Derriyn Russell on the mound, Curaçao continued to dominate and tacked on an additional five runs in the second inning.
Ural Forbes got the first base hit for Team Bahamas in the fourth, but the home team trailed 10-0 headed into the fifth.
Team Bahamas’ offence finally came alive in the fifth frame with a game high six runs.
Both Jay Knowles and Simmons walked followed by a D’Shawn Knowles single up the middle to load the bases.
Stuart was hit by a pitch to score the first run for The Bahamas to score Knowles. Next in the lineup, Saunders was hit by a pitch to score another run to score Simmons.
Forbes’ groundout drove in an RBI to score D’Shawn Knowles.
Kashon Conliffe was also hit by a pitch to load the bases once again and Munroe followed with a two-RBI single.
Grant followed with his RBI single for the sixth run but a pair of base-running errors ended the Bahamian rally in the inning.
Neither team was able to score across the sixth and seventh innings, but in the eighth, Stuart drew a walk with the bases loaded as The Bahamas tacked on another run. Saunders singled up the middle to score both Simmons and D’Shawn Knowles to make the score 11-9.
Raysheandell Miche’s solo shot in the bottom of the eighth was the first home run hit in the Andre Rodgers stadium and gave Curaçao a 12-9 lead headed into the final frame.
Grant hit a sacrifice fly to score Conliffe in the ninth, but it would be the final run in the rally.
Yeshua Saint pitched six innings for The Bahamas pitching four strikeouts while allowing three hits and two runs.
Team Bahamas will have an off day today and returns to the field at 7pm on Wednesday night with a matchup against Cuba.
Cuba made their tournament debut yesterday with a 9-0 win over USVI.
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