Ciego de Avila leads Cuban baseball national series

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 9 (acn) Ciego de Avila remained on top of the standings in the Cuban baseball championship with balance of seven wins and only two losses, after beating Guantanamo 4-0.

The rookie Ariorky Hernandez achieved the win in relief role for the cause of the current national monarchs by limiting Guantanamo´s offensive to just one hit in three innings of work, supported by the fourth save of the closer Yunier Cano.

Yorelvis Charles went 2 for 4 with two RBIs to lead the offense of the disciples of Roger Machado, assisted by outfielder Jose Adolis Garcia, author of a solo homer.

Industriales and Pinar del Rio appear half-game behind Ciego de Avila with a 6-2 balance as they both won their respective matches.

Pinar del Rio beat 6-1 Villa Clara with Yaifredo Dominguez on the mound and offensive highlight by the outfielder Yasser Gonzalez who hit a homer.

Meanwhile, Industriales defeated twice Artemisa (15-5 and 12-5) in matches where Yulieski Gourriel reaffirmed himself as championship leader in the stats of home runs (4), RBIs (14) and batting average (. 650).

In the other matches of the day, the current runner up Isle of Youth reached two important wins over Matanzas, with scores of 1-0 and 2-1, while Las Tunas won 11-1 over Granma, Holguin beat 4-0 Camagüey, Cienfuegos defeated 2-1 Santiago de Cuba and Sancti Spiritus surpassed Mayabeque 6-5.

Ciego de Avila leads the standings with 7 wins and 2 losses, followed by Industriales and Pinar del Rio (6-2), Granma, Sancti Spiritus and Las Tunas (5-3), Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo (4-4) , Isla de la Juventud (4-5), Holguin (3-5), Matanzas (3-5), Artemisa (2-6), Mayabeque (2-6) and Camaguey (1-7).