SEOUL, South Korea — Nate Freiman’s RBI double sparked a three-run first inning Thursday as Israel beat the Netherlands 4-2 to finish top of Pool A in the World Baseball Classic with a 3-0 record.
Zach Borenstein and Ryan Lavarnway also drove in runs in the first for Israel, which clinched a berth in the second round when the Netherlands beat Taiwan 6-5 on Wednesday.
The Netherlands (2-1) also advanced to the next round, which starts Saturday at the Tokyo Dome.
Sharlon Schoop scored on a throwing error by second baseman Tyler Krieger in the eighth to cut the lead to 4-2, but Didi Gregorius grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The top two teams from the second round advance to the championship round at Dodger Stadium. Israel will play in the first game of the second round Saturday.
