HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 1 (acn) Isla de la Juventud will be included for the first time in the grand finale of Cuban baseball championship after beating 15-5 Matanzas and win the semifinal series with balance of 4-2.
The match held at Matanzas´ Victoria de Girón Park came tied to the eleventh inning, when the Pirates ensured success by scoring 10 runs with the complicity of a costly error by shortstop Luis Yander La O and the subsequent breakdown of local pitchers.
La O committed error on an easy groundball by Rodmy Proenza with the bases loaded –play suitable for double play that would have meant the end of the fateful inning- to open the doors of home plate to Dainier Gálvez with the first of the ten decisive runs.
Then the Pirates scored nine other runs, product of six hits including a homer by Julio Pablo Martinez and doubles apiece of Yanier Herrera and veteran first baseman Luis Felipe Rivera.
Before the unexpected outcome, Isla de la Juventud opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning, but Matanzas took the lead on the scoreboard when scoring twice in the second inning and added two more runs in the third off Yoalkis Cruz.
Jonder Martínez, Matanzas´ opener, had a magnificent performance for seven innings, but the Pirates took advantage of his departure from box to discount one in the eighth and get ahead on the scoreboard with two runs in the ninth.
Victor Mesa´s disciples equaled in the bottom of the ninth, but closer Héctor Manuel Mendoza managed to contain the rebellion and claimed victory with solid three innings relieve, while Félix Fuentes took the loss.
Isla de la Juventud made history by accessing for the first time to the Grand Final of Cuban baseball championship, with the additional merit of eliminating en route to the best team in the regular stage and runner-up in the previous two seasons.
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