MIAMI — Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t wait for a big swing. He ripped an infield single, outran the throw from Italy shortstop Sam Antonacci and kept sprinting toward home, roaring as the LoanDepot Park crowd — largely Venezuelan fans hoping to see their country reach the World Baseball Classic final for the first time — went wild.
Acuña’s hustle tied the game in the seventh inning and ignited a celebration as teammates poured out of the dugout. Venezuela then completed the rally: Maikel Garcia followed with a go-ahead RBI single and Luis Arraez added an insurance run with a two-out hit, lifting Venezuela to a 4-2 victory over Italy Monday night.
The win sends Venezuela to its first WBC championship game, a rematch with the star-studded United States team. Venezuela reached this point days after qualifying for the Olympics for the first time with a dramatic comeback over Japan in the quarterfinals.
“We never lost confidence in the type of roster we had,” Acuña said in Spanish. “We always stayed on the same page, and I think that's what carried us into the final.”
Early tension came as Venezuela’s offense stalled and starter Keider Montero struggled with control. In the second inning
