Italy played a very strong game once again, but still will exit the 2017 World Baseball Classic after the first round. Italy lost 3-4 to Venezuela in the tiebreaker game of the Jalisco Pool. Venezuela joins Puerto Rico to advance to the second round from that pool. They will face the Dominican Republic and the United States in San Diego.

Italy took a quick 1-0 lead in the first thanks to a RBI single by Daniel Descalso. A.J. Morris, Italy’s starter, then dominated one of the most powerful lineups in the tournament, throwing five scoreless no-hit innings, issuing just one walk. The pitch count rules forced him out of the game and the first reliever, Trey Nielson, served up a RBI single to Ender Inciarte in the sixth, which was deflected by Chis Colabello at first to tie the game.

However, the Squadra Azzurri answered with John Andreoli’s solo home run, his third in the event, to regain the lead. The score remained the same until the ninth, when Venezuela came through with the decisive rally. Miguel Cabrera tied the game with a solo home run. A RBI single by Rougned Odor and a sac bunt by Alcides Escobar drove in two more runs to extend the advantage to 4-2.

Alex Liddi went deep in the bottom of the ninth to get Italy within a run. But a comeback fell through when the next three batters grounded out to the left side of the infield.

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