Holguin sweeps Pinar del Rio in Cuban baseball

HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 22 (acn) Holguin starred the only sweep in the last subseries of Cuban baseball championship when defeating twice Pinar del Río, starting to regain ground in the struggle for access to the postseason.

They won the first match 4-0 with excellent pitching performance by Carlos Santiesteban, who allowed five hits in seven innings, offensively supported by Yunior Paumier and Yeison Pacheco, who both homered.
And they won again at night, this time 5-2 in ga me marked by strong batting performance by Yunier Mendoza (reinforcement from Sancti Spiritus), who hit 2 for 5 with two doubles and three RBIs for the cause of the winners.
The leader and reigning monarch Ciego de Avila lost again to the current runner up Isla de la Juventud, this time 7-5 in match that lasted 11 innings.
Luis Felipe Rivera led the offensive of the winners with two RBIs, in game won by Jesus Reynaldo Amador as reliever, while closer Yunier Cano took the loss.
Granma tied with Industriales in the second seat of the standings by defeating them 8-5 with the fourth win of the season to Lazaro Blanco and offensive highlight of Roel Santos and Maykel Castellanos, authors of two RBIs per capita.
Las Tunas beat 6-4 Matanzas in the first match of a double program to reach five wins in line; winning streak that was broken at the second time when the latter won 6-3, with the seventh win of the campaign for the ace Freddy Asiel Alvarez.
After those results, Ciego de Avila is at the head of the standings with balance of 34 wins and 16 losses, escorted by Granma and Industriales (32-19), Las Tunas (31-20), Matanzas (30-21), Pinar del Río (29-21), Holguin (29-22) and Isla de la Juventud (27-24).