The Italian players had to wait a few minutes following the last out to find out that they were advancing with Cuba, while the Netherlands, Taiwan and Panama were eliminated.
The group was decided by runs allowed divided by putouts, and Cuba (15/108, .139) finished first, followed by Italy (17/108, .157), the Netherlands (19/102, .186), Panama (21/108, .186), 105, .200) and Taiwan (31/105, .295).
Chadwick Tromp homered in the third, but Italy went ahead with a six-run fourth, capped by a two-run triple by Nicky Lopez.
Brett Sullivan, Ben DeLuzio and Sal Frelick all had RBI singles, and underdog Mike Bolsenbroek threw a wild pitch to score a run. Frelick added a single in the eighth.
Harvey allowed one run and two hits in four innings with three strikeouts for the Italians, led by Mike Piazza.
Needing three runs to advance, the Netherlands put two up with no outs in the ninth once morest Mitchell Stumpo.
Juremi Profar struck out, Tromp fouled out in foul territory near the plate, and Ray-Patrick Didder struck out.
Dutch left fielder Jurickson Profar caught a Dominic Fletcher fly ball behind with two outs in the eighth, saving two runs.
Xander Boagerts hit 4-for-15 (.267) with an RBI in the tournament, Jurickson Profar hit 3-for-13 (.231) with an RBI, Didi Gregorius hit 3-for-12 with three RBIs, and Jonathan Schoop hit 1-for-13 (.077) with no RBIs.
Cuba 7, Taiwan 1
Cuba got home runs from Yoán Moncada, of the Chicago White Sox, and Erisbel Arruebarrena.
Cuba built a 4-0 lead in the first inning on a double by Alfredo Despaigne scored by Moncada and his White Sox teammate Luis Robert.
Arruebarrena’s two-run homer later in the inning made it 4–0.
Cuban starter Elian Leyva pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, striking out four. The underdog Shih-Peng Chen allowed five runs – four won – and five hits in 1 1/3 innings.
