Alone and 2,200 miles from home, Venezuela shuts out Puerto Rico 5-0 at Little League World Series

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Hitting with the bases loaded at the Little League World Series, Samuel Castillo found the gap between left and center field. Two runs scored and Venezuela’s lead over Puerto Rico grew to 3-0.

Above the team dugout, spectators in a fan section that barely filled three rows raised one of the few Venezuelan flags in Volunteer Stadium.

It took a lot for Venezuela to get here, but on Wednesday, its team made the playing baseball part of the journey look easy. Cardenales Little League from Barquisimeto went on to shut out Puerto Rico 5-0.

Cardenales won all five of its regional tournament games, outscoring opponents 46-6 to become the Latin America representative to the LLWS. But in the wake of President Donald Trump’s travel bans and restrictions affecting 19 countries, the team needed a special exemption from the U.S. State Department and a sign-off from Secretary of State Marco Rubio after visas were initially denied.

Venezuela’s senior team, players who are up to 16 years old, which was supposed to compete in Easley, South Carolina, last month was unable to get the exemption and was denied entry to the United States.

“They were working their way through applying for the exemption,” Little League President and CEO Patrick Wilson said in a news conference before Wednesday’s game. “We ran out of time, just candidly.”

Wilson said there were close to 10 days for Venezuela’s Williamsport team to get approved, which was “more lead time” than the senior team. They were notified of the approval last Thursday.

This isn’t the first time visa snarls have been an issue at the tournament. In 2011, Uganda’s visa applications were denied and Saudi Arabia, the regional runner-up, played instead.

“We’ll do our best to have conversations with the great folks at the State Department that help us out in an effort to, whether we have to adjust lead times or whatever we can do, to ensure that all teams can participate and enjoy the Little League experience, whether that’s at the Little League level, junior, senior, softball, whatever it takes,” Wilson said.

Venezuelan players traveled to the United States without their families — parents couldn’t get visas — but the coaches of last year’s team that made it to the international final were among the few fans from back home sitting proudly in the stands above the dugout. Euclides and Ender Rivero only had to renew their visas which, they explained through an interpreter, was a much easier process.

Maria Lewis sat just a few seats away from the Riveros holding one of the country’s flags and wearing the Latin America team shirt. She’s Venezuelan and lives only an hour away from Williamsport.

“I’ve been praying for them to come,” Lewis said. “I’m very pleased that (their visas were) granted, because these are 12-year-olds that deserve to play their game.”

She comes to Volunteer Stadium every year when a team from Venezuela plays.

“I’m just here like a team mom, honorary team mom, so that they can feel supported, that they have people behind them,” Lewis said.

Manager Luis Bermudez said the team has been keeping in touch with those 2,204 miles (3,547 kilometers) away in Barquisimeto through their smartphones, and he’s grateful to the fans Venezuela did have in the stands.

“We’re very happy we have all their support,” he said through an interpreter.

On Friday, Venezuela will play Canada.

“I’m so happy to be here,” Francisco Rivero, who scored twice on Wednesday, said after the win. “It’s a great feeling.”

Another girl takes the field at LLWS

Monica Arcuri became the 24th girl to play in the Little League World Series on Wednesday when her Australia club played Panama.

She started at first and rounded out the lineup for the team from Brisbane. This tournament also features the fifth female coach and a female umpire, Traci Duez, who was at second base for the Panama-Australia game. The Little League Softball World Series concluded last week with record viewership.

“For a young lady whether she chooses to play softball or baseball, we want her to have those choices, you know, and if she switches at a certain point, that’s OK, too,” Wilson said. “We just want her to participate.”

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Amanda Vogt is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports