Venezuela closes out disappointing WBC against Spain

Mar 10, 2013 - 12:35 PM (Sports Network) - Nothing more than pride will be on the line Sunday when Spain and Venezuela close out their World Baseball Classic slates at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

While not much was expected from Spain in this tournament, Venezuela was a heavy favorite thanks to a roster that is littered with big league talent. However, Luis Sojo's club has lost both games it has played and was eliminated from the tournament following a 6-3 loss to Puerto Rico on Saturday.

"If I had the answer, I would tell you," Sojo said. "But still, I don't believe it."

Spain, appearing in its first WBC, has also lost both of its games, but has been competitive against the two advancing teams in Pool C, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

"First of all, we showed that we qualified against other good teams, but they were like Minor League teams," Spain manager Mauro Mazzotti said. "Now, we're competing against Major League teams, and the media coverage and a lot of competitions is way higher than that.

"We need to do well. We need to prove that we belong here. You see the development of the other European countries, Italy and Holland, who are doing well. It's only our first WBC. We have to do well, and we want to come back. In order to come back, we need to win one."