Anyibel Ramirez of Venezuela pitches during the ALBA Games. (Photo from SoftballNewsLa.com)

ARGENTINA & VENEZUELA WIN ALBA GAMES MEDALS
2011-07-29

This week in Maracay, Venezuela, the IV ALBA Games (Bolivarian Alliance) took place, with men’s and women’s softball among the sports played.

The home country had plenty to cheer about as their women’s softball team won the gold medals and the men took the silver.

Argentina won the gold with a 3-0 victory over Venezuela. The teams met six times leading up to the final, with each team winning three. Winning pitcher Lucas Mata walked just one batter and struck out six over his seven innings of work. Mauricio Caceres hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to increase the lead to 2-0 and keep Argentina on their way to victory.

Argentina and Venezuela were both playoff finishers at the last ISF men’s world championship (2009). They will meet again later this year at the VIII Pan American Men’s Softball Championship in Mexico, which is a qualifier for the next ISF men’s world championship (2013 in New Zealand).

On the women’s side, Venezuela defeated Cuba, 3-1, in the gold medal game. The teams endured a five-and-a-half hour rain delay, but winning pitcher Mariangee Bogado was sharp on both sides of it, throwing four innings in the early afternoon and the final three in the evening. Team captain Maria Soto drove in the eventual game-winning run in the fourth inning and Bogado held off a rally by Cuba. Trailing 3-1 with two outs and two runners on base, the visitors had Leanney Gómez at the plate in the seventh inning, one swing away from putting her team in the lead. But, Bogado struck her out to preserve the gold for Venezuela.

Cuba had advanced to the gold medal game with an eight-inning, 8-7, victory over the Dominican Republic. Colombia finished fourth and Argentina fifth.