Ciego de Ávila ties again at the top; Pinar del Río continues its climb; Santiago punishes Industriales
- BaseballdeCuba
- Apr 1
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Ciego de Ávila achieved its third victory against Granma, winning 5-4, to once more share the lead with Las Tunas at the top of the Third Cuban Elite Baseball League (LEBC). Meanwhile, Las Tunas witnessed Pinar del Río maintaining its positive momentum, securing its sixth win in the last 10 games with a 6-2 result, thus evening the series at two wins each. Similarly, in the Cuban Baseball Classic, the series was also leveled at two wins each as Santiago de Cuba mounted an impressive comeback to beat Industriales 11-9.
Ciego de Ávila 5, Granma 4
At Mártires de Barbados Stadium, where the iconic Frederich Cepeda achieved the milestone of 2,503 hits in National Series history, leading the historical rankings in Cuban tournaments from 1962 to the present, Ciego de Ávila climbed to the top of the III LEBC with a 5-4 win against Granma. A trio of runs in the top of the ninth inning was crucial for the Tigres' win, as closer Yanielkis Duardo (0-1) failed to secure an out. With just three outs remaining and trailing 4-2, Fernando de la Paz initiated the inning with a single to center field. He advanced to third on Yoasán Guillén's double, and both runners scored to tie the game, courtesy of a single by pinch-hitter José L. Contreras. Rodolexis Moreno delivered Ciego's fourth straight hit of the inning, leading to Duardo's exit from the game. Duardo was ultimately accountable for the three runs and was tagged with the loss. Juan D. Pérez then took over, and despite managing to secure two outs in the inning, he loaded the bases by walking Cepeda. Minutes later, a decision was made after Robert L. Delgado was hit by a pitch, allowing Contreras to score the decisive run. In the ninth inning, Leonardo Moreira (1-1), who had been pitching in relief since the eighth inning, shut down the opposition to secure his first victory of the season. This win brought the Ciego de Avila team level with Las Tunas at the top of the tournament standings. Both teams scored two runs in the first inning, with Ciego achieving one of those runs through Cepeda's historic 2,503rd single against starter César García, who pitched 6 innings, allowed 7 hits, 2 earned runs, struck out 4, and walked 1. The score remained tied at two until the bottom of the fifth inning. During that inning, Darián Palma hit a solo home run to center field, breaking the tie against starter José I. Grandales, who pitched 5 innings, allowed 7 hits, 4 earned runs, struck out 5, and walked 4. A walk, an error, and a single by Andy Cosme increased the score to 4-2, leading up to the events of the ninth inning.
Pinar del Río 6, Las Tunas 2
The Vegueros de Pinar del Río humbled the tournament leader by defeating them for the second time in their four-game series, winning 6-2 at home in the Capitán San Luis stadium in Pinar del Río. The victory was secured through the combined efforts of right-handed pitchers Yunieski García (1-2) and José E. Santos (1). García pitched for 5 innings, allowing 9 hits, 2 earned runs, striking out 7, and walking 1. Santos followed with 4 innings, conceding 3 hits and striking out 2. This pitching duo was crucial in containing Las Tunas' 12-hit offense. García delivered another strong performance, striking out seven in five innings with just one walk, and despite giving up nine hits, he managed to control the game in critical moments. Santos provided excellent long relief, allowing only three hits and achieving two strikeouts in four scoreless innings, earning his first save of the season. Against left-handed starter Dariel Góngora (1-2), Pinar took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Dainier Gálvez walked, followed by a double from Luis P. Acosta, and a single by Yaser J. González brought both runners home. In the third inning, the decisive run came as Gálvez hit a leadoff home run to left field, providing the Vegueros with a lead they maintained for the rest of the game. Góngora did not come back to pitch in the fourth inning. After he left, Pinar continued to score in every inning until the sixth, adding three more runs against the first reliever, Wilson Paredes. In the fifth inning, Lázaro Fernández hit a triple that brought in second baseman Rolando Martínez. In the following inning, back-to-back doubles by Acosta and Yaser Julio added another run for Pinar. In the sixth, a double by Tailón Sánchez and a single by Fernández completed the final score. The national champions had several chances, particularly against starter García, but despite recording twelve hits in the game, they also left 12 runners stranded. In the fourth inning, Las Tunas managed three hits, including an RBI by Leonel Moas that reduced the deficit to 3-1. However, with two men on base, Yunieski Larduet struck out. In the fifth inning, they got the first two batters on base with a single and an error, yet the strong lineup of the fourth, fifth, and sixth hitters failed to produce. An inning later, Larduet hit a double that brought in Las Tunas' second and final run, but with two runners in scoring position, Luis V. Mateo and Yosvani Alarcón couldn't secure an RBI. After a rough start to the tournament, Pinar del Río achieved their sixth win in the last ten matches, and although they are in fifth place in this III LEBC, they are just one game short of reaching the qualifying position.
Santiago de Cuba 11, Industriales 9
Santiago de Cuba employed a long-range offensive strategy, hitting seven home runs to defeat Industriales 11-9 at Guillermón Moncada Park, resulting in a two-win tie in the third series of the LEBC. Industriales appeared to be on track for victory, holding a comfortable 6-1 lead at the top of the third inning, when Santiago began their comeback that led to their win. Yoelkis Guibert initiated the inning with a walk. After a middle out following Yoel Yanqui's strikeout, Eduardo García hit his sixth home run of the season, reducing the lead to 6-3 and solidifying his position as the tournament home run leader. The inning could have produced more runs, but with the bases loaded and two outs, Francisco "Pancho" Martínez popped out to left field against reliever Alexei Gil. The tie occurred an inning later. Jeison Martínez and Guibert hit back-to-back home runs to start the inning, sending Gil back to the dugout. When Leodán Reyes took the mound against Yanqui, he made it three consecutive home runs, with a powerful shot to deep right field, creating an exciting tie. The game stayed tied until the top of the seventh inning, when Dennis Laza, with two outs, hit a solo shot off the Wasps' first reliever, right-hander Yoandro Daudinot, marking his exit from the game. The Santiago team's response came quickly in the bottom of the inning. A walk brought in right-hander Frank Herrera (0-1), and after a sacrifice fly advanced the runner to second, pinch-hitter Harold Vázquez struck out for the second out. It seemed Herrera would prevent the Wasps from tying the score, but a walk to "Pancho" Martínez and a single by Jeison Martínez evened it at 7-7. The worst was yet to come. Guibert then gave Santiago a lead they never relinquished with his second home run of the afternoon, a line drive to left field making it 10-7, followed by Yanqui's second home run of the game, a line drive up the middle, extending the lead to 11-7. In the ninth inning, Industriales attempted a comeback. They collected four hits, including two doubles by the Hechavarría's that drove in one run and a single by Andrys Pérez that drove in another. However, right-hander Wilber Reyna, in relief, managed to get Roque Tomás to ground out to third base, ending the game while the tying runners were on third and second base, poised to score. Overall, it was a game marked by poor pitching, as evidenced by the 26 hits and 14 walks between both teams. Santiago's victory tied the two teams for third place in the tournament.
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