Industriales and Ciego de Ávila secured victories on Tuesday, strengthening their positions at the top of the III Elite League. Las Tunas players, Rafael Viñales and Denis Peña, did not return to Cuba

Industriales unleashed a relentless attack against Granma, achieving a 14-6 victory on Tuesday in the Third Cuban Baseball Elite League (III LEBC). Meanwhile, Ciego de Ávila maintained its position as the tournament leader by earning its second victory over Pinar del Río, this time by a score of 9-2.

It was a day in which it was announced that players Rafael Viñales and Denis Peña, both pillars of the Las Tunas team that participated in the II Americas Baseball Champions League, were staying in Mexico. The Cuban team finished in second place.

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Industriales 14, Granma 6

Industriales secured a 14-6 victory over Granma at Mártires de Barbados Park in Granma, utilizing 18 hits and 14 runs in a game halted in the eighth inning due to a bench-clearing incident. The team from the capital took control of the game early, despite Granma holding a 2-1 lead after the first two innings. In the third inning, against right-handed starter César García (0-4), Bramdon Pérez hit a double with two runners on base, earning two RBIs and shifting the score to 3-2 in favor of the Azules. Two additional runs came in the fourth inning after two outs, thanks to a single, a walk, and a fielding error by right fielder Alexquemer Sánchez, which allowed both runs to score. In the sixth inning, Industriales increased their lead to 7-2 when Yasiel Santoya hit a two-run double with the bases loaded. In the seventh inning, three more runs were scored: a fielder's choice grounder by Roque Tomás brought in one run, a single by Alfredo Rodríguez added another, and a hit by Ángel Hechavarría pushed the lead to 10-2. Meanwhile, after Industriales' left-handed starter Denis Quesada struggled and pitched just one inning, giving up the Granma first two runs, right-handed reliever Fher Cejas (1-0) took over. He pitched five innings in relief, allowing three hits, no runs, and recording three strikeouts without issuing any walks. The work enabled him to secure his first victory in this III LEBC. Industriales added another run in the eighth inning with a double by Ariel Hechavarría and two ground balls. Their final three runs came in the ninth inning, with three hits that included an RBI from Ariel and a double by Bramdon that drove in the other two. In the eighth, Granma mounted a comeback, scoring four times against reliever Leodán Reyes. The Alazanes collected five hits in that inning, starting with a double by Yordanis Samón, along with RBI singles from Alexquemer, Leonardo Alarcón, and Yulieski Remón, plus a wild pitch that allowed another run to score. Remón and pitcher Reyes exchanged words, leading to both teams emptying their benches after Reyes threw two pitches at the Granma second baseman, one of which went over his head. This resulted in head umpire Lorien Lobaina ejecting the pitcher. Following Reyes' departure, reliever José E. Pérez was brought in to manage Granma's aggressive offense. Although he gave up a single to Remón and two additional hits in the ninth inning, he successfully prevented any runs over his 1 1/3 innings. This secured the victory that brought Industriales back to a .500 record, solidifying their position in third place in the tournament.

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Right-hander José Ramón Rodríguez shined again in a start in the III LEBC. (Photo by Radio Bayamo)

Ciego de Ávila 9, Pinar del Río 2

The Ciego de Ávila Tigers maintained their impressive performance in this III LEBC, securing their 15th victory of the championship by comfortably beating Pinar del Río 9-2 at the Capitán San Luis Occidental stadium. The win was secured by right-hander José R. Rodríguez (2-0), who delivered his second quality start by pitching seven innings, allowing six hits and one earned run, with three strikeouts and one walk, marking his second victory of the tournament. The sole run against him occurred in the second inning when catcher Yadiel Guerra hit a solo home run. Rodríguez received early backing from his offense when a four-run surge in the first inning effectively decided the game. This was against the young right-handed pitcher Elián Moreno (0-1), as Ciego managed four hits among the first six batters of the inning. This included an RBI double by Leo Escalante, a single by Robert L. Delgado that drove in another run, and a two-run homer by Jonathan Bridón, completing the four-run inning. Elián wouldn't remain in the game much longer. After retiring six consecutive batters following Bridón's home run in the first inning, he found himself in a tough spot in the third inning with two outs. He walked Frederich Cepeda, gave up a single to Delgado, and hit Bridón, loading the bases. This would be his final batter of the game, and even though the Tigers didn't score in the inning thanks to Yancarlos García's relief, Moreno departed with the chance that the decision might not go in his favor, which is what ultimately occurred. In the sixth inning, Ciego launched another offensive, adding two more runs with three hits, including a double by Yoasán Guillén that drove in one run and a single from shortstop Greyson Bergery, which brought in the second run with Guillén scoring. In the seventh inning, Escalante hit a double, and Cepeda brought him home with a single to left field, increasing the lead to 7-1. In the eighth inning, Ronaldo Castillo drove in another run with a single, and in the ninth, a hit, combined with an error and two fielder's choices, finalized the score for the Tigers. Three relievers saw action for Pinar del Río, while starter Moreno took the loss.

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