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This game, which promises to be one of the bigger mismatches in the tournament, could be meaningless before it starts.
Australia lost a 10-0 mercy rule-shortened game to Italy on Tuesday and had just one hit. And now the Aussies are facing a far better pitching staff. Kelvim Escobar will start for Venezuela with Phil Brassington piching for Australia.
If the Australians get the game to nine innings, they will have a moral victory. But it won't get easier for the Aussies as they have to face the Dominican Republic Friday.
Australia won the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, so they are not unfamiliar with the world stage.
It's quite possible that all of Friday's games will not have any effect on who makes it to the second round, although the Puerto Rico-Cuba game should be interesting regardless.
Final Score Venezuela 2, Australia 0
WP -- Kelvim Escobar
LP -- Phil Brassington
Save -- Francisco Rodriguez
HR -- Ramon Hernandez
The Australians made a better show of it with their pitching, giving up only two runs, but they did surrender 12 walks. But for the second straight game, they managed just one hit.
Venezuela joins the Dominican Republic in advancing from Pool C. The Dominican Republic plays Australia tomorrow at 4 pm PT, but has already clinched first place.
Venezuela's next game will be on March 12 against the loser of Friday's Cuba-Puerto Rico game. That will be Pool 2 play in San Juan. The Dominican Republic will play the same day against the winner of Cuba-Puerto Rico.
And it's really loud.
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