TAIPEI, Taiwan — In a remarkable display of strategy, South Africa executed a hidden ball trick to record an out against Nicaragua during the opening match of the World Baseball Classic qualifying rounds. However, Nicaragua ultimately claimed victory, winning the closely contested game 2-1 after ten innings on Friday.

The intriguing play took place in the seventh inning when third baseman Anthony Phillips showcased his sleight of hand. This occurred right after a successful tag up by Nicaragua’s Freddy Zamora, who slid safely into third base with two outs. Phillips’ quick thinking led to a moment of confusion when Justin Erasmus, the pitcher supporting the base, strolled by and held out his glove, creating an illusion that the ball was still in play.

As Erasmus moved to the back of the mound, Zamora became a few steps too relaxed on third. Phillips swiftly capitalized on this moment and tagged Zamora, leading to a significant enforcement of the rules. Initially believing it to be a balk, Zamora began to head home. After a thorough discussion and the use of replay review, umpires confirmed that Zamora was indeed out, allowing the game to remain tied at 1-1.

It is worth noting that Zamora had previously tied the game with an RBI single earlier on. The match concluded with Ronald Rivera delivering a decisive RBI single in the tenth inning, securing Nicaragua’s win.