Defending Champion Pinar Del Rio Makes it to Second Stage in Serie Nacional

HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 22 (acn) Pinar del Río beat Villa Clara 5-3, to win the eighth and final berth to the second round of the Cuban baseball championship, the Serie Nacional.

First baseman Dairon Hernandez led the offensive of the current national monarchs with a homer and three RBIs in the match, while reliever Livan Moinelo stood out from the mound by allowing just one hit and striking out four in three innings and two thirds.

After this result, Pinar del Rio totals 22 wins and 20 losse s, ensuring thus its presence in the top eight of the preliminary phase.

In vain Sancti Spiritus (22-23) defeated Granma with a score of 9-4, because although they equaled in victories with Pinar del Río, the tie favors the latter for having won (2 -1) their particular subseries.

On the other matches of Sunday, Isla de la Juventud won 6-1 over Holguin and Las Tunas defeated Ciego de Ávila 4-0 in games without any significance for the destiny of the qualification.

The teams of Matanzas (31-14), Granma (27-15), Isla de la Juventud ( 26-18), Artemisa (25-20), Industriales (25-20), Ciego de Ávila ( 24-21) Pinar del Río ( 22-20) and Holguin ( 23-21) will be on January in the next stage of the Cuban elite baseball championship.