Industriales Avoids Sweep, Now is Third in Cuban Baseball

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 24 (acn) Industriales returned to winning path in Cuban baseball championship by beating Artemisa 9-1 to avoid the sweep and retain the third seat in the standings, four games behind the leaders Matanzas and Granma.

Rudy Reyes hit 3 for 4 with a homer and five RBIs to lead the Havana squad's offensive, seconded by shortstop Jorge Enrique Alomá with a solo homer, while rookie Raidel Orta took the win by allowing five hits in six innings.

In the other mat ch of Monday night, Ciego de Ávila defeated 11-3 Holguin, with three RBIs per capita by reinforcements Ariel Borrero and Orlando Lavandera, while relief pitcher Yunier Cano earned his ninth win of the season.

The Tigers thus are tied for fourth seat with Isla de la Juventud, team that during evening hours lost 12-6 to the current monarch Pinar del Río, with credit from the mound to Yaifredo Domínguez.

William Saavedra hit 3 for 4 with two doubles and four RBIs to lead the offense of the current national champions, seconded by outfielder Yordanis Linares (2 for 5), author of a homer and three RBIs.

Also, Granma knocked out Matanzas with score of 13-3 to tie with them at the top of the championship, both with balance of 43 wins and 26 losses.

Lázaro Blanco was ratified as the most successful pitcher of the season by achieving his twelfth win when allowing in five innings just one hit to the Matanzas Crocodiles, while Ramón Licor took the loss.

The Granma Alazanes deployed an overwhelming offensive of 17 hits, including homers by outfielder Alfredo Despaigne and DH Urmani Guerra, authors of two RBIs per capita, while shortstop Marcos Fonseca hit 3 for 4 and drove in three runs.