Cuban baseball leaders win first matches in second round

HAVANA, Cuba, Nov 2 (acn) The top three teams from the qualifying phase, Matanzas, Ciego de Avila and Granma, beat their rivals in the first matches of the second stage of the 56th Cuban National Baseball Series.

Matanzas extended its winning streak when defeating 6-1 Camagüey at Victoria de Giron stadium and got its 43 rd win.
Jonder Martinez (8-0) was the winner and Adrian Sosa earned the save, while Pinar del Rio´s reinforcement, Erlis Casanova (2-2), took the loss.
In one of the evening games, Ciego de Avila won 6-2 over Holguin, with Carlos Alberto Santiesteban (6-4) as losing pitcher.
Vladimir Garcia reached his 100th win in national series and thus he has balance of 10 wins and only one loss in the current season.
The most outstanding offensive players for the winners were Santiago de Cuba´s reinforcement Edilse Silva and Luis R. Moiran, with 2 RBIs each, and the latter hit his 11th homer of the season.
At Martires de Barbados Park, Granma beat 9-5 Villa Clara with win to reliever Jose Armando Peña (2-5), and save for closer Juan Ramón Olivera, while Pinar del Rio´s reinforcement, Yaifredo Dominguez (0-6), took the loss.
Granma´s best batter was third baseman Lazaro Cedeno, who hit 3 for 5, including a double and 4 RBIs, while Guillermo Aviles also drove in two runs for the winning side, while Villa Clara´s offensive highlight went to third baseman Yeniet Perez and outfielder Yurien Vizcaino, with a homer and 2 RBIs each.