BARCELONA, Spain — The game decided nothing, and Colombia won it anyway.

Colombia beat Spain 8-3 on Sunday night in the final game of the WBSC Premier12 2027 Barcelona Qualifier, avoiding an 0-3 finish in front of the tournament’s largest crowd, 642 at Camp Municipal de Béisbol Carlos Pérez de Rozas. Spain had clinched a Premier12 berth the night before and finished first at 2-1. Italy took the second spot Sunday morning.

Julio Vivas got the win with five scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out six on 71 pitches. David Lorduy struck out five over two scoreless and Harrinson Ruiz added a scoreless eighth. Pablo Guillén, Spain’s expected ace making his only start of the qualifier, took the loss — five innings, six hits, three runs.

Jesús Marriaga put Colombia ahead in the fourth with a two-run homer to right, scoring Diego Contreras. Colombia added a third in the fifth on a balk, after Dayan Frías doubled, moved to third on a passed ball and Carlos Arroyo reached on the same play.

It stayed 3-0 until the eighth, when Colombia scored five. Paulo Asprilla doubled to deep left to drive in two off Ernesto Garavito, and Arroyo followed with a three-run double down the left-field line.

Spain scored three in the ninth against José Garcés, who got one out and allowed three runs. Andrés Angulo singled up the middle to drive in Rusber Estrada, and Frank Hernández singled to center to score two. Ezequiel Zabaleta got the last two outs.

Angulo went 3-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. Marc Rodríguez López had two hits. Contreras had three for Colombia, Marriaga two with the homer and a stolen base.

Before the game, WBSC president Riccardo Fraccari and RFEBS president Pablo Carpio presented Jorge Alcauzar, newly inducted into the Spanish Baseball Hall of Fame. Alcauzar, born in 1956, managed Spain at the 1992 Olympics in this city. Mets left-hander Sean Manaea also took part in the ceremony.

Frank Hernández named Most Outstanding Player

Spain’s center fielder tied Germany’s Luca Hörger for the tournament’s best batting average at .500, and led all players in on-base percentage (.563) and hits (seven). He scored twice, drove in two and played error-free defense across three starts.

He and Omar Hernández, Spain’s captain, are twins, born in Havana in 2001. Their father Edgar, a catcher for the Metropolitanos, moved to Viladecans outside Barcelona in 2008 and got involved with the local club. Frank, Omar and their mother María de la Caridad joined him in 2013, and both brothers came up through CB Viladecans, where Edgar coached.

Sean Manaea
Sean Manaea. Spain vs Colombia. Premier12: Barcelona — (WBSC)

Frank signed with the Cubs before the 2021 season and now plays for the Tenerife Marlins. Omar joined the Royals organization in 2019 and reached Triple-A this year. Both represented Spain at U-18 level.

Colombia finished 1-2 and has still never played in a Premier12.

Spain and Italy advance to the 2027 tournament, where one Olympic berth will go to the highest-finishing team from Europe or Oceania.