Industriales claims back second place in Cuban baseball

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 29 (acn) Industriales appeared now second in the Cuban baseball championship, just one game behind Ciego de Ávila, due to the combination of its two wins over Holguín with Granma's two defeats versus Isla de la Juventud.

In the night match Industriales walked off 8-7 Holguin, with offensive highlight to Alexander Malleta, Wilfredo Aroche and Javier Camero, authors of homers.

Hours earlier, the team coache d by Javier Mendez won 10-2 when resuming the game suspended because of rain last Sunday, with the fourth win of the campaign for rookie Yoel David Paula.

Yulieski Gourriel led the offensive when hitting 4 for 4 with two doubles, a homer and three RBIs, seconded by second baseman Rudy Reyes, 3 for 5 with three RBIs, while Camero homered again for the winners and Yordan Manduley imitated him for the losers.

In turn, the leader Ciego de Avila lost 8-0 to Santiago de Cuba, in game marked by solid pitching performance by veteran Danny Betancourt, who allowed five hits in seven innings, while Reutilio Hurtado homered and drove in two runs.

Granma fell from second seat in the standings when losing a couple of times to the current runner up Isla de la Juventud, which all of a sudden took by assault the called area of qualification for the second round.

In the first match of the double feature, the islanders won 2-1, highlighting the solid pitching performance of the right-hander Luis Manuel Suarez, who only allowed three hits and one earned run in eight innings and two thirds.

At second hour they won 5-3, with the third win of the season for the left-handed Wilber Perez, who reached his 98th win in National Series, while Jorge Tartabull hit a triple and drove in two runs for the cause of the victors.
Moreover, Las Tunas extended its winning streak by beating Villa Clara 7-2 with homers by Ruben Paz, Jorge Yhonson and Joenny Southerán while Matanzas knocked out Sancti Spiritus 13-3, with offensive that included seven home runs, two per capita to the account of Yandrys Canto and Onel Vega.

In the other match of the day, Guantanamo defeated 2-1 Camagüey, as the games Pinar del Rio-Mayabeque and Artemisa-Cienfuegos were suspended by rain again.

After these results, Ciego de Avila (17-6) tops the standings followed by Industriales ( 16-7), Granma (15-7), Las Tunas (13-8), Pinar del Rio (12-8), Sancti Spiritus ( 13-10), Isla de la Juventud and Villa Clara (12-11), Matanzas and Guantánamo (11-11), Cienfuegos (10-11), Holguín and Santiago de Cuba (10-13), Artemisa (6-15), Camagüey (5-18) and Mayabeque (4-17).