Panama's U23 Baseball Championship begins with high-scoring opening day

Panama's U23 National Baseball Championship, the third edition of the tournament, has officially commenced, showcasing a display of potent offense on its opening day. Six teams are competing in this national certamen, which saw its inaugural games played on Thursday, July 16, 2026.

The opening day featured several closely contested matches. In a dramatic encounter at the Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City, Metro staged a two-run comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure a thrilling 7-6 victory over Oeste. Francisco Villamil's clutch two-run double sealed the win for the metropolitan team. Roderick Medina earned the win in relief for Metro, while Miguel Gómez took the loss for Oeste.

Another notable game saw Coclé defeat Occidente 4-0 at the Justino Salinas Stadium in La Chorrera. The combined pitching effort of Derek Montenegro and Edelindo Acosta proved too much for the Occidente offense. Montenegro pitched eight strong innings for the win, supported by Acosta who closed out the ninth. Jorge Quiel was charged with the loss for Occidente.

In a different result, the U18 Pre-Selection team of Panama secured a decisive 9-3 victory over Azuero at the Mariano Rivera Academy Stadium in La Chorrera. A five-run outburst in the bottom of the first inning set the tone for the pre-selected team's win. Manuel Bustavino earned the victory on the mound, while Antony Crespo suffered the loss for Azuero.