Israel beats Spain, one win away from qualifying for World Baseball Classic

Nate Freiman hits two homers for second game in a row

JTA — First baseman Nate Freiman hit two home runs as Israel beat Spain 4-2 in the qualifying round of World Baseball Classic, putting the Israeli team one win away from a guaranteed spot in the tournament in March.

Nate Freiman, a standout first baseman for the San Diego Padres’ Class AA San Antonio Missions, matched his home run output from Thursday’s 7-3 victory over South Africa, accounting for Israel’s 4 RBIs on Friday afternoon.

In the modified double-elimination format, Spain will play the winner of Friday night’s matchup between France and South Africa on Saturday. Israel will face off against the winner of that game in Sunday’s championship game.