Colombia eliminate Panama from 2026 World Baseball Classic

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/panama/0GS04B51/"]Panama[/a] had eliminated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/colombia/z5A5Ioq8/"]Colombia[/a] yesterday with an extra-innings win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/8dIZ5DLr/"]Canada[/a]. However, Colombia got their revenge and brought down Panama with them after a four-run sixth inning. [/p][p]Colombia and Panama both finish their 2026 World Baseball Classic campaigns with a 1-3 record.[/p][embed guid="fb5a65e0-9a81-4018-8419-1cf17b16e8e8" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031089614870437951?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]In other games, Great Britain defeated Brazil [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/brazil-IqbFg267/great-britain-2iGVi47K/?mid=YacR2NMH"]8-1[/a], holding them to just one hit, effectively ending both of their 2026 World Baseball Classic campaigns. [/p][p]Great Britain finished 1-3, while Brazil finished 0-4. [/p][h2]Recap and highlights[/h2][p]Until the sixth inning, the only hit between both teams came from Colombia's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/frias-dayan/G2aAhHbS/"]Dayan Frias[/a]. Panama starting pitcher, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/espino-paolo/S2FLbR8l/"]Paolo Espino[/a], 39, received a standing ovation from the crowd after he pitched 4.1 innings, giving up the lone hit with no runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. [/p][p]It's expected to be the final time Espino ever steps on the diamond as a player. [/p][embed guid="62207f29-99fd-4363-bd3c-f62074c6f0a3" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itB7xYNXuIE" social-type="youtube" /][p]Then it was the top of the six when the bats finally came alive for Colombia, taking advantage of the Panama bullpen. [/p][p][b]After loading up the bases on a couple of walks and a single, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diaz-jordan/GKbfOY4P/"]Jordan Diaz[/a] would hit a sac-fly to put Colombia up on the board [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/colombia-z5A5Ioq8/panama-0GS04B51/?mid=S2CN9VZ1"]1-0[/a]. [/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-reynaldo/2sxe6FEn/"]Reynaldo Rodriguez[/a] would blow the lid off with a two-run single to run the score up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/colombia-z5A5Ioq8/panama-0GS04B51/?mid=S2CN9VZ1"]3-0[/a] before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vellojin-daniel/QsKIu4Be/"]Daniel Vellojin[/a] would also bring home a run on a single to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/colombia-z5A5Ioq8/panama-0GS04B51/?mid=S2CN9VZ1"]4-0[/a]. [/b][/p][p]Colombio wouldn't record another hit the entire rest of the game.[/p][embed guid="7b5c99be-bb91-4939-84ae-1cf2f7bb39b6" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMcFiDru-CA" social-type="youtube" /][p]In the bottom half of that sixth inning, Panama began to show some life.[/p][p][b]With two outs, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caballero-jose/dQT27Rpr/"]Jose Caballero[/a] put his team on the board with a solo home run, their first hit of the game, to cut the lead to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/colombia-z5A5Ioq8/panama-0GS04B51/?mid=S2CN9VZ1"]4-1[/a].[/b][/p][p]Caballero became the only player on the entire Panama team to hit a home run at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.[/p][embed guid="305a3c71-a5d6-4453-8433-3c9e0f2c79ef" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031074989797933178?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Two innings later, Panama began to rally, almost coming back to tie the game up. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ramos-jose/U9uonFyd/"]Jose Ramos[/a] put up a two-out, RBI-single to slash the Colombia lead in half. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sosa-edmundo/YqxgRf5U/"]Edmundo Sosa[/a] would hit a single of his own that was followed up by an RBI-single from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bethancourt-christian/02hwcza8/"]Christian Bethancourt[/a] to make it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/colombia-z5A5Ioq8/panama-0GS04B51/?mid=S2CN9VZ1"]4-3[/a]. [/b][/p][p]Unfortunately, for Panama, following a pitcher change, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castillo-luis/KpoL2Vu4/"]Luis Castillo[/a] would ground out to end the inning.[/p][embed guid="0181eb8e-28a9-4637-8dad-4a2d00954d03" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031083572321223166?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Even with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tejada-ruben/CCIjC8Z9/"]Ruben Tejada[/a] single with one out, Panama failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, which ultimately brought their 2026 World Baseball Classic journey to a heartbreaking end. [/p][p]Colomia's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garcia-pedro/EDDMdgWe/"]Pedro Garcia[/a] got the save after tossing 1.1 no-hit innings, ending his team's WBC run on the highest note possible.[/p][embed guid="df8f46ce-d5b3-4a94-879b-729513c3f773" url="https://x.com/WBCBaseball/status/2031090934612398179?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]