By Lewis Rubman

MEXICALI BC, MEXICO–A one out double by Alex Blandino in the bottom of the tenth inning gave Nicaragua a 5-4 win over Germany, ending a tense sea-saw contest in the opening game of the second qualifying round of the World Baseball Classic, played this afternoon in Mexicali’s B’Air Stadium.

It was Blandino’s stand-up double off Marcus Salbach  in the second inning with Juan Beras on first  that had helped Nicaragua jump to a 1-0 lead.  Blandino scored Nicaragua’s second run later that inning when Renato Morales singled him home.

That lead held until the top of the sixth, when Oakland Athletics farmhand Bruce Maxwell homered to center field with two on against Samuel Estrada, who had entered the game to releve starter Gustavo Martínez at the start of the inning and proceeded to walk two of the first three batters he faced before Maxwell took him deep.

Nicaragua threatened to tie it up in its half of the eighth when Elmer Reyes led off with a line single that hit pitcher Luke Summers, and designated hitter Darrel Campbell laid down a daring two-strike sacrifice bunt to advance him to third.  Wuilians Vasquez followed with a well-stroked fly that Germany’s center fielder  Dominique Taylor chased down at the wall.  Summer then walked Jairo Beras before giving way to Martin Dewald, who closed down the inning by striking out Blandino.

Germany almost extended its lead in the top of the ninth, but  Maurice Wilheim came into the game to get Taylor to hit into an inning-ending bases-loaded double  play.

Germany took the lead in the tenth with a walk to Donald Lutz followed by Ludwig Glasser’s double to right, both off Wilheim.  But Germany’s Cuban reliever, Enorbel Marquez, couldn’t finish off the resurging Nicaraguans.  Darrel Campbell beat out a grounder to short, and, after Vasquez flew out to center, Beras sent him to second with a seeing-eye single to left-center.  That set the stage for Blandino’s heroic walk-off double.

For the victorious Nicaraguans, Reyes went two for five, Beras three for four, and Blandino two for five.  Germany’s best hitting performances were turned in by Maxwell, who went three for four, and Glaser and Max Boldt, both of whom were two for four.

Solbach,  Sommer, Wilheim, and Marquez, who was charged with a blown save and the loss,  pitched for Germany.  Nicaragua’s pitchers were Martínez, Estrada, Jose Saenz, Jhonny Polanco, Leonard Crawford, and Carlos Gonzalez,  who was credited with the win.

The attendance was 3,773 on a clear, comfortably warm afternoon.

Mexico will take on the Czech Republic at 7:00 o’clock tonight.