Cuban Baseball Series: Holguin Grows Stronger in its Struggle to Qualify

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 7 (acn) Holguin beat Isla de la Juventud a couple of times to guarantee a place among the top eight of the Cuban baseball championship and ratified itself among the teams with options to advance directly to the next phase.

In the continuation of the suspended games during the qualifying stage of the national baseball classic, Holguin first won 15-6, with offensive highlight of third baseman Jose Castaneda, who hit 4 for 6 with 3 RBIs.
Geydi Soler drove in three runs for the cause of the winners, and there were also 2 RBIs per capita by Yeison Pacheco and Jorge Luis Peña. The latter hit two triples in the game won by starter Meracles Ruben Oris despite allowing five earned runs in six innings and two thirds.
In the second game of the day, Holguin deployed an attack of 11 hits to defeat the Pirates 8-2, with the second win of the season to Walnier Osorio and offensive highlight to Yunior Paumier and Jorge Luis Peña, both of which homered.
Now, Holguin ranks fourth in the standings with 25 wins and 18 losses, only surpassed by Matanzas (40-3) and Ciego de Avila (29-16), squads already qualified, and Granma (24-17).
Villa Clara tied in the fifth position with Guantánamo, both with 23-18 balance, and incidentally left Pinar del Rio, current runner-up, without options, when defeating the team 2-0.
Alain Sanchez starred a solid pitching performance by allowing only three hits in nine innings of work, while runs were driven in by Yurien Vizcaino and Andy Sarduy.
Villa Clara was also winning in the second game of the day 1-0, but the game was sealed in the fifth inning to continue on Saturday and give way later to the third and final match of the sub-series between these teams.
Holguin and the host Isla de la Juventud will face each other again at the Cristobal Labra Stadium, in the continuation of the pending matches of the qualifying stage, which will run until October 16, according to the schedule announced by the Cuban National Baseball Federation.