Cuban Baseball: Camaguey ties 1-1 the Playoff Series

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 19 (acn) Camaguey beat 5-4 Las Tunas and tied 1-1 the playoff series for a ticket to the second round of the Cuban baseball championship in its 56th edition.

The Bulls took advantage of their local status to extend the series to a third and decisive match, agreed for today at Candido Gonzalez stadium.
Shortstop Alexander Ayala led the offensive of the winners when batting 3 for 4, with a double and an RBI, seconded by Humberto Bravo, Jorge Cardosa, Leonel Moa and Yosbel Perez, all with an RBI, while Rafael Viñales hit a homer and drove in two runs for the losing side.
The win went to closer Frank Madan, perfect performance in one and a third inning, preceded on the mound by starter Yariel Rodriguez -six hits and three earned runs in five innings-, and relievers Arbelio Quiroz and Josimar Cousin.
For Las Tunas, veteran Ubisney Bermudez had a great performance when surrendering six hits and one earned run in five and two thirds innings, but reliever Yudiel Rodriguez failed in the mission to contain Camagüey´s offensive when allowing four runs and took the loss.
Both teams will face each other again today in the third and decisive match of the playoff series, and the winner will join Matanzas, Ciego de Avila, Villa Clara and Granma, already seeded in the next phase by finishing in the top four seats of the standings.
In the fight for the remaining ticket to the elite stage of the national baseball classic, Holguin took the lead 1-0 after defeating 5-4 Isla de la Juventud in the first match last Monday at Cristobal Labra stadium.
Holguin got a major success as visitors in the initial match and on Thursday they will try to reach the decisive win in the first of two games as home-club at Calixto Garcia Park.