Industriales closes the gap to the top in Cuban baseball

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 17 (acn) Industriales beat 7-6 Santiago de Cuba and now appears just half-game behind the leader Ciego de Avila, which saw broken its chain of 10 consecutive wins in the Cuban baseball championship.

Rudy Reyes and Juan Carlos Torriente led Industriales offensive with two doubles and two RBIs per capita and the winner was Michel Reinoso, while Juan Peñalver earned a save.
In evening hours, Isla de la Juventud won 9-0 over the current monarch Ciego de Avila, with excellent pitching performance by veteran lefty Wilber Pérez, who allowed five hits in six innings to achieve his second win of the season and now totals 97 in his entire career.
Rookie DH Ariel Hechevarría hit 4 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs as the most prominent on the offensive by the winners, supported by experienced first baseman Luis Felipe Rivera, 3 for 5 including a homer and two RBIs.
Granma was consolidated in the third seat by beating Pinar del Río 11-6 with highlight to outfielder Guillermo Aviles, who went 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs, while Yanier Gonzalez reached his third win of the season.
In other matches of the day, Las Tunas defeated 7-3 Mayabeque, Camagüey won 5-2 over Matanzas, Villa Clara beat 7-1 Sancti Spiritus, Holguin knocked out 11-1 Artemisa and Guantanamo beat 6-5 Cienfuegos.
Now Ciego de Avila tops the standings of the Cuban baseball championship with record of 12 wins and 3 losses, followed by Industriales (11-3), Granma (10-4), Sancti Spiritus (8-5) and Pinar del Rio and Matanzas (8-6).