Henry Huber on Little League: Venezuela lived up to the hype in Volunteer opener
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When it came to expectations surrounding the 10 international teams that would be featured in the 2024 Little League World Series, the team that drummed up the most hype was Venezuela.
Whether it wanted to or not, Cardenales Little League out of Barquisimeto, Venezuela had put the world on notice throughout its run through the Latin America Region.
On top of that seven-game span in which it outscored its opponents by a combined score of 87-0, it produced four no-hitters and won more games than hits surrendered (7 to 6). With eye-popping results like its 26-0 win over Honduras and a run-rule win over Nicaragua in the title game, those that took notice greatly anticipated its debut.
And yet, they somehow exceeded expectations.
On Friday afternoon at Volunteer Stadium, Venezuela mercy-ruled Mexico in four innings, dismantling a defense that had just earned the 66th no-hitter in LLWS history while also hindering its opponent's less-proven offense, posting a one-hit shutout.
"We knew we had a strong team in Mexico facing us and (the kids) were just a little nervous because it's been so long without playing," said Venezuela manager Domingo Carrasquel through an interpreter. "But the results came as we expected."
It's worth noting that Mexico couldn't play its ace pitcher in Antonio Guerrero, who hit 86 pitches two days ago after posting a no-hitter and 11 strikeouts through five innings. It's unclear how strong Mexico's bullpen is outside of him but either way, Venezuela made the most of him being out and forced it into a rough second impression.
A single to right, single to center, double to center and homer to center was the opening sequence for the Venezuela offense, as the team jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Mexico could see the plate.
That sequence was more than replicated in the third inning, where Carrasquel's team logged five hits, two doubles and five runs to up that cushion to 9-0. And the cherry on top came in the fourth, when it attributed the last run it needed to enter run-rule territory, securing its fourth double of the day in the process.
Its top of the order was almost perfect on the day, with Luis Yepez going 2 for 3, Jesus Diaz going 2 for 2 with an RBI, Willian's Mora going 2 for 2 with a set of doubles and RBIs and Jhonson Freitez going 1 for 1 with three RBIs. Freitez got all his production off a three-shot homer before getting intentionally walked on his last plate appearance of the day.
In an international game that featured the most impressive offensive performance so far, its defense managed to stand out as well. Starting pitcher Luis Yepez and closing pitcher Willian's Mora combined for seven strikeouts, with Yepez allowing one walk and one hit through three innings pitched.
Even when Mexico managed to find a spark, loading the bases in the second inning and putting the tying run up to bat with just one out on the board, Yepez kept cool and collected, striking out the ensuing batter before forcing a line out against the next.
"I just had to focus more on my pitches, try throwing strikes," said Yepez on his mindset throughout that inning. "So, thank God that I did, and we got out of the inning."
"They gave me trust in their abilities," said Carrasquel on that display. "Leads to a nice inning after (Mexico) had loaded the bases. The difference came from that -- that was the only inning where Mexico put a threat across the gate."
That performance ups its average run margin to 12.1 in its last eight games. It would need go up 3-0 in its next game to have put up 100 straight runs in a row without surrendering one - from regionals onward.
"(They play) with passion, with a lot of heart and they're very focused on their mission (of) winning games," said Carrasquel on the key to their dominance. "(They) do whatever can and thank God that it's been so dominating."
It’s set to take on another team that posted a strong debut in Japan, with that matchup taking place on Monday at 1 p.m.
“We know Japan is a great team," said Carrasquel. "We're just going to keep doing the same thing we’ve been doing since we got here. We practice hard. We have fun. We enjoy the game."
Henry Huber is a sports reporter for the Sun-Gazette. He can be reached at hhuber@sungazette.com. Email comments to hhuber@sungazette.com.