WBSC U-12 World Cup 2025 | Cuba concludes qualifying round with a resounding 19-2 victory over Australia
- BaseballdeCuba
- Jul 30
- 2 min read
The Cuban U-12 baseball team finished the qualifying round in Group A of their category's World Cup with a 19-2 win in five innings over Australia's team. This match, initially postponed due to rain last Monday, was played on Wednesday as part of the preliminary stage.
The win placed Cuba in fourth position in qualifying group A, with a 2-3 record, while Australia ended up in fifth place with a 1-4 record.
The win also brought Cuba to a 2-0 record, tying with Panama, in the round that will decide the seventh-to-twelfth place standings. This round starts this Thursday in Tainan, Taiwan, the host city.
On that same day, Mexico reshaped the standings in Group A by defeating Japan's unbeaten record with a 7-6 victory. This win allowed Mexico to advance to the Super Round as the group's second-best team, pushing the host, Taiwan, down to third place.
In Cuba's game, the team's offense was swift right from the first inning, scoring three runs against starter Ezequiel A. Coughlin (0-1), who only lasted one inning before being replaced in the second after issuing two walks. Coughlin fell victim to a two-run homer by Cuban catcher Yuceider Torres in the first inning, which quickly gave Cuba a 3-0 lead.
Ultimately, Cuba added another four runs in the second inning, followed by one in the third, and then surged ahead with six runs in the fourth inning and five more in the fifth inning.
Following Coughlin's exit, Australia cycled through a series of pitchers, with five relievers taking the mound, but they were unable to halt the Cuban offense, which racked up 19 runs on the scoreboard.
Yuceider Torres was unquestionably the standout batter for the Cubans, going 2-for-2 with a double and a home run, contributing five RBIs in the game. Center fielder Maykol M. Lluch provided strong support, going 3-for-3 with a walk, scoring two runs, and driving in three RBIs.
At the same time, Cuba's pitching effectively restrained the Australian offense, thanks to starter Sean M. García (1-0), who delivered three nearly flawless innings, giving up just one walk, allowing no hits, and striking out six batters.
Yuniel A. Zamora took over for García and conceded Australia's only two runs in the fourth inning after issuing two walks.
Mauro A. Álvarez finished the game by pitching 1 1/3 innings, allowing two hits, no runs, and recording two strikeouts.
The win motivates the Cuban team as they prepare to face Panama this Thursday. Panama is the only other undefeated team in the group that will decide the final rankings outside of the Super Round. The game is scheduled for 11:59 a.m. (Cuban and Eastern Time).
The following day, Cuba will play against the Czech Republic at the same time, and on Saturday, they will wrap up their tournament by competing against South Africa at 11:59 a.m.
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