DR, USA win in routs in Super Round

The WBSC Baseball Americas Qualifier entered its Super Round phase of the tournament on Friday, with the four highest seeds from the opening round battling for the two open spots for the Americas in this summer’s six-team Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games field.

The United States (2-0) and Venezuela (3-0) each entered the Super Round undefeated after the United States' final game against Puerto Rico was canceled due to inclement weather.

The tournament runs through Sunday, at which point the team with the best overall record will secure the first Olympic spot, while the runner-up and third-place teams advance to the WBSC Final Qualifier.

Dominican Republic 14, Venezuela 4

The Dominican Republic handed previously undefeated Venezuela a decisive loss on Friday, scoring 14 runs on 17 hits in their rout. Enny Romero, a former big leaguer who spent most of his career with the Rays, put together six strong innings that were somewhat overshadowed by the offensive onslaught behind him. MLB’s No. 5 overall prospect, Julio Rodríguez, continued to impress, with the Mariners' farmhand putting together a three-hit performance (one of four for the Dominican Republic).

The Dominican Republic was further boosted by former big leaguers Juan Francisco and José Bautista, who each homered and collected three RBIs.

United States 10, Canada 1

The United States entered the final game as the only remaining undefeated team in the tournament. Former Reds pitcher Homer Bailey got the start, delivering 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball before turning the game over to the bullpen. Former Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Gose made another appearance on the mound, throwing a scoreless inning with one walk and one strikeout.

Triston Casas’ eighth-inning double, originally called a home run, sparked some late controversy. When the call was overturned, Logan Forsythe, who had been on first base, was awarded a run. A 25-minute delay was followed by a wild rally for the United States, as five additional runs scored on an error, a Luke Williams double, a Jarren Duran triple and a Todd Frazier home run.

Canada completed the game under protest after Casas’ double.

Standings

OVERALL

United States: 3-0
Dominican Republic: 3-1
Venezuela: 3-1
Canada: 2-2

SUPER ROUND

United States: 2-0
Dominican Republic: 1-1
Venezuela: 1-1
Canada: 0-2

Saturday matchups

Venezuela (3-1) vs. United States (3-0)

Canada (2-2) vs. Dominican Republic (3-1)