The second to last game for the Americas Qualifier was a mid-day affair that featured Puerto Rico taking on Venezuela.
It wasn’t so much the score in the game, but it meant more for two Venezuelan veteran players that announced their retirement from play for International softball.
It wasn’t until the top of the 6th that Maria Jose Soto Gil and Denisse Del Carmen Fuenmayor Arcila careers came to an end at Softball City.
In what proved to be their final appearance for International Women’s Fastpitch they were given hugs their fellow teammates as well as the Puerto Rican players and to the delight of the two players the sell-our crowd gave them a standing ovation.
The game quite easily could have been anyone’s game as after four complete innings it was Puerto Rico led by a close 2-1 score.
Puerto Rico added two additional runs in the bottom of the 5th inning giving them a 3 run lead making it a 4-1 game.
Puerto Rico used three pitchers combined for 109 pitches contest sending Alvelo in for the first two, Dung pitched innings three and four, while Oscasio was the closer for the final three.
Both Alvelo and Dung managed 24 S/O’s while Oscasio managed 29 allowing only 6 hits, 1 error and 12 S/O’s combined.
Venezuela sent two to the mound starting Ybarra who pitched 4.1 innings giving up 5 hits, 4 runs 3 base on balls and 4 S/O’s for 86 pitches.
Reliever came in for 1.2 innings allowing 2 hits, 2 S/O’s on 31 pitches for a combined pitch count of 117 with 66 S/O’s.
It’s noteworthy to understand that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are being held at the New National Stadium which is on the same site as the 1964 Olympics that will see 34 Venues separated by 2 zones.
The average ticket price is reported to be 7,700 Yen or $72.00, but both the opening and closing ceremonies are reported to be between 25,000 Yen ($235) and 150,000 Yen or around $1,400 and will be sold online and at designated ticket locations in Tokyo.
There are a total of 33 sports competing at the 2020 Olympics which will include 5 new ones that will see Football and Soccer start two days prior to the Olympics.
