By Lewis Rubman

MEXICALI, BC, MEXICO–Hampered by its own fielding errors, the peregrine rules of international extra-inning play, and a Nicaragua team that would not admit defeat, the Czech Republic’s entry in the World Baseball Classic lost its 4-2 lead in the eighth inning of tonight’s game and then lost the game in the eleventh inning, in the process losing its chance to advance to the quarter finals of the 2017 World Baseball Classic.  Nicaragua survived to face unbeaten Mexico at 7:00 o’clock tomorrow night to determine the winner of this round of the tournament.

The Czech team opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a home run off Nicaraguan starter Berman Espinosa to straight-away centerfield by right fielder Jakub Malik with two on base.  The Czechs’ starter, Daniel Mraz would hold that lead until there were two outs in the fifth inning, when he maxxed out on his pitch count.  (The WBC allows 85 pitches, which can be extended if needed to complete a plate appearance.  Mraz threw 87).  He had  allowed two runs, only one of

which was earned, when he left the game.

Nicaragua tied the score with two unearned runs off Mraz’s replacement, Alex Sogard, in the top of the eighth.  Sogard ended up pitching five and a third innings, surrendering only those two unearned runs, four hits, and not walking anyone.

Alex Sogard’s brother is a utility man who plays all over the infield.  Eric Sogard’s brother is a pitcher who plays all over the infield.  In the tenth inning, with the score tied at 4-4, he gave a noteworthy display of the way pitchers should field their position.  Jairo Beras led off the frame with a single to left and advanced to second on a sacrifice, pitcher Sogard to replacement first sacker Petr Cech.  Sogard then caught Beras stealing with a throw to third baseman Tomas Polansky, who chased the runner back towards second, and threw to shortstop Petyr Zyma.  Zyma then threw to third, where Sogard was waiting to

tag the runner out.

Rules for extra innings in international play changed the nature of the game in the eleventh frame.  Specifically, the lead-off batter in that inning  comes to the plate with men on first and second.  These runners must be either the two players who preceed the lead-off batter in the lineup or pinch runners for them.  Therefore, when Martin Scheider, who relieved Sogard to start the eleventh, faced pinch hitter Janior Montes, Ofilio Castro and  Britton were runners on second and first, respectively, with no outs.  Montes’s sacrifice bunt sent them to second and third.    Renato Morales drove Castro home with a sacrifice fly, Britton going to second.  Next, Montes stole second. When Omar Obregón got Nicaragua’s first hit of the inning, he drove in Britton and Montes, advancing to second on the throw home. Schneider’s balk sent him to third.  That ended the scoring for Nicaragua, who now held a lead of seven to four.

The Czechs attempted a comback in their half of the eleventh but fell short.  Jakub Sladick began the frame on second, and Jakub Malik at first. Cervenka’s line drive single to center moved each of them up a base. Jonathan Loaisiga, pitching for Nicaragua, forced in  a run by walking Tomas Polansky. Jose Saenz came in to relive Loasiga and got  Zyma to ground into a force out at second, scoring Malik.  The Czech Republic now trailed seven to six with one out and runners on first and third.  But Saenz struck out pinch hitter Tomas Junek and left fielder Petr Sila to preserve Nicaragua’s hard-won victory.

The game, played before an enthusiastic crowd of 6,558 fans took an exciting – and exhausting – three hours and fifty-seven minutes to be completed.

Loaisiga was the winning pitcher for Nicaragua. Saenz was credited with the save.  Schnedier took the loss for the Czechs.