Cuban baseball defending champion to clinch berth to second round

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 3 (acn) The reigning monarch Ciego de Avila will seek a win over Villa Clara to earn the direct access to the second phase of the Cuban baseball championship in its 56th edition.

The Ciego de Avila Tigers appear at a step to certify its presence in the elite stage of the national baseball classic when overcoming 7-5 Villa Clara last Sunday, with win to the account of reliever Ariel Ricardo and save to Jose Diego Martinez.
Luis Robert Moirán batted 2 for 3 with a homer and four RBIs, and Eliecer Griñán hit a solo homer to lead the offensive of the current champions, while Yeniet Perez and Andy Sarduy also homered for the losing side.
With balance of 28 wins and 15 losses, Ciego de Avila has virtually secured its direct ticket to the next round of the championship as it ranks second in the standings, while Villa Clara dangerously fell to sixth spot.
Isla de la Juventud was ratified in seventh seat when achieving important 8-6 win over Industriales, with excellent pitching performance of Yunieski Diaz, who allowed five hits in six and two thirds innings, supported by Danny Aguilera´s ninth save.
Outfielder Leonardo Urgellés hit 3 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Roberto Acevedo, Dainier Galvez and rookie Gerardo Casi also drove in two runs each.
Camagüey took advantage of Industriales´ loss and now appears alone in eighth place in the standings thanks to a 7-6 victory at the expense of Artemisa, with Alexander Ayala and Jorge Cardosa driving in two runs per capita for the cause of the winners.
Finally, Pinar del Rio suffered a nasty blow to their meager options to access the second phase by losing 4-7 to the Cienfuegos Elephants.
Matanzas and Sancti Spiritus did not play; Holguin and Mayabeque sealed their match with a tie to one run in the fifth inning, which adds to the announced suspension of the subseries Granma-Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba-Las Tunas by the threat of Hurricane Matthew on eastern region of the country.
Matanzas Crocodiles lead the National Series with 37 wins and only 3 losses, followed by Ciego de Avila (28-15), Granma (24-17), Holguin (22-16), Guantanamo (23-18), Villa Clara (21-17), Isla de la Juventud (21-19), Camagüey (22-20), Las Tunas (20-20), Industriales (21-21), Pinar del Río (17-21), Artemisa (17-26), Cienfuegos (17-26), Santiago de Cuba (13-28), Sancti Spiritus (13-28) and Mayabeque (9-30).