Dominicans, Puerto Rico advance in competition

The unbeaten Dominicans (3-0) pounded out seven runs in the 11th inning to reach a second-round group that begins play Tuesday in San Diego while Colombia (1-2) must hope for a Canada upset of the United States later to have any chance at advancing.

In the Mexico bracket of the 16-team event featuring Major League Baseball talent, Carlos Correa blasted a three-run homer to power unbeaten Puerto Rico into the second round with a 9-3 victory over Italy.

Puerto Rico (3-0) joined the Dominican Republic in San Diego while Italy (1-2) needs winless host Mexico to upset Venezuela later Sunday to have any hope of advancing.

Castillo, a catcher for MLB's Baltimore Orioles, rescued the Dominicans after a nearly five-hour battle that nearly saw the South Americans upset the Miami bracket favorites.

Jorge Alfaro's solo home run in the eighth inning off Dominican reliever Fernando Rodney lifted Colombia into a 3-3 deadlock.

Colombia nearly won in the ninth inning after Jhonatan Solano singled and Tito Polo was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Pinch runner Oscar Mercado took third when Donovan Solano hit into a force out.

Reynaldo Rodriguez then flew out to Dominican left-fielder Jose Bautista, who threw perfectly to home plate and watched as Castillo grabbed the ball and tagged out Mercado at the plate before he could score the winning run.

Colombia players protested the umpire's call to no avail, with Rodriguez and Polo ejected for their in-the-face exchanges.

Classic rules give each team runners at first and second base to open the 11th inning onward and the Dominicans took full advantage.

Castillo smacked a two-run single to left field to put the Dominicans ahead for good. Jean Segura added a three-run double and scored on an error by Colombian third baseman Giovanny Urshela.

Carlos Santana added a run-scoring single to complete the onslaught.

The Dominicans opened the scoring in the first inning when Segura singled, advanced on a Robinson Cano walk, stole third base and scored on a Bautista sacrifice fly.

Colombia equalized in the bottom half of the opening inning on Urshela's run-scoring single up the middle.

The defending Classic champions jumped ahead 3-1 in the third inning when Jonathan Villar singled, stole second base and scored on a double by Manny Machado, who took third on a Cano ground out and scored on a fielding error by Colombian shortstop Donovan Solano.

Colombia trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the sixth when Mauricio Ramos hit a run-scoring double.