The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Team Bahamas concluded the opening round of the Caribbean Baseball Cup with a 1-3 record and the no. 4 seed in the playoffs.

Last night the team suffered a 14-2 loss to Puerto Rico at the Andre Rodgers National Stadium.

Adari Grant led the way offensively 2-4 with RBI, run scored and a stolen base, Kristin Munroe was 1-4, with a run and Cherif Neymour finished 1-3 with an RBI.

Robin Haven pitched seven innings and surrendered two hits and seven walks with five strikeouts.

It was a back and forth game throughout until Cuba broke the game open in the later innings.

Haven got into early trouble walking two of his first three batters and giving up a sacrifice fly for the first run of the game.

He fought back to retire the side and struck out the final batter of the inning with two left in scoring position.

In the second, Munroe doubled down the left field line and was plated by a Grant RBI single.

Neymour followed with an RBI single of his own to score Grant and tie the game 2-2.

The Bahamas had an opportunity to go ahead in the third but squandered a runner in scoring position with no outs. Daunte Stuart led off the inning with a double down the line, and advanced to third on a Knowles sacrifice bunt. However, he was left stranded on third after a groundout and strikeout to end the inning. Puerto Rico went ahead for good in the fourth inning and scored 12 unanswered runs, including seven in the top of the ninth inning.

The Bahamas is slated to face no.1 overall seed Puerto Rico in a rematch at 7pm on Saturday night. The winner will qualify two teams for the Central American and Caribbean Games 2023.

The event is scheduled for June 23 to July 8 in El Salvador. Curaçao is the defending champion. They defeated Cuba in the final of the third edition. Cuba has already qualified for the Central American and Caribbean Games.

Cuba and Curaçao will square off in the first semifinal on Saturday at 2pm.