PANAMA CITY – The 12U National Team hung in the fight and came out on top in a heavyweight clash, defeating the Dominican Republic, 14-7 to win gold at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier.
Team USA has now won back-to-back WBSC World Cup Qualifier titles and picked up its seventh gold and ninth medal in eleven years. Championship Saturday saw Team USA battle its Dominican counterparts over the course of six hours and on two different playing fields. The day started at Estadio Nacional Rod Carew and ended at Estadio Municipal Andy Alonso, as rain made the former unplayable. Team USA never lost focus, however, and handed the Dominican Republic its only loss of the week.
To beat the Dominican Republic, Team USA needed to put on an offensive show and they did just that. The red, white, and blue scored a run or more in all six frames. Team USA drew first blood for the seventh time in as many days, as leadoff man Josh Pierre got the team started on the right foot by reaching base for the seventh consecutive game. After Joshua Park advanced Pierre to third with a bunt-single, Carlo Rivero lifted a high fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly.
The Dominican Republic also came out swinging in the most crucial game of the week, stringing together a six at-bat inning to take an early 2-1 lead. This was the first time the U.S. had been behind in 36 innings.
The U.S. answered in kind, sending six batters to the plate in the inning after. Clayton Ratliff drew a six-pitch walk and let Miles Lockridge take over from there. The designated-hitter delivered with a hard-hit ground ball, eating up the shortstop and producing a Team USA run to make it 2-2.
Two more runs scored for the home team in the bottom half and the Dominican Republic regained the advantage as an errant throw from Team USA on a double play attempt allowed two runs to score.
The back-and-forth affair continued in the third and the U.S. scored two of its own to knot the score at four apiece. Rivero and Jack Mattingly both reached base to get the inning going and put pressure on the Dominican defense. Christian Cicero picked up his first hit of the game in timely fashion with a two-RBI rocket to right field.
Caonabo Cosme started on the mound for the Dominican Republic and put his bat to use as well. Milfree Figueroa led off the third with a single and Cosme injected a sense of confidence in his team with a two-run homer to left. Carlos Marrero plated one last run with an RBI-groundout to make it 7-4 after three.
With a new field, came new life. After a lengthy rain delay and a new environment at Estadio Municipal Andy Alonso, Team USA immediately put the bats to work. Daylon McCants and Pierre led off the fourth with back-to-back singles and allowed Park to cut into the lead with a sacrifice fly. Pierre took advantage of a Dominican error and scored the third and final run of the inning.
Team USA’s unassuming player of the day emerged in the home half of the fourth. As soon as Ratliff stepped on the bump, he embraced the moment and delivered an outstanding performance. Ratliff struck out the first three batters he saw and gave Team USA a chance to take the lead
The stars and stripes seized the opportunity and led off with the same player that ended the fourth, Ratliff. He drew a walk to lead off the frame and later came around to score the tying run. Team USA proceeded to force three consecutive free passes and a Dominican pitching change. With bases loaded, Rivero was up to the moment and drilled a 2-2 offering up the middle to hand the U.S. its first lead of the day and one it would never relinquish. An error and a flurry of wild pitches scored two more runs to balloon the team’s lead.
Two more unearned runs scored in the last inning and put the U.S. up by a touchdown, 14-7. Ratliff needed only 12 pitches in the sixth to get the job done and painted the corner with a breaking ball to punch out the last batter and secure the win for Team USA. Ratliff tossed 3.0 innings of no-hit ball and struck out five.
Not only did the U.S. win a gold medal, but the squad secured a berth to the 2025 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Panama have all qualified and will accompany the United States in next year’s World Cup and represent the Americas Region in Tainan, Taiwan.
TEAM USA AWARDS
- Most Valuable Player: Carlo Rivero
- Most RBIs: Carlo Rivero
- Most Runs Scored: Joshua Pierre
- Most Stolen Bases: Joshua Pierre
WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier All-Team
- P: Carlo Rivero (USA)
- DH: Sebastian Gil (Venezuela)
- C: Carlos Gutiérrez (Venezuela)
- 1B: Jack Mattingly (USA)
- 2B: Brandon Baez (Dominican Republic)
- 3B: Daibel Barrero (Cuba)
- SS: Humberto Alfonso (Cuba)
- LF: Joshua Park (USA)
- CF: Jose Reyes (Mexico)
- RF: Adolfo Alcoser (Nicaragua)
