The Avilanian Tigers saved everything for the ninth inning and turned a game in which they were behind on the scoreboard 2×4 into a victory, because with four hits they scored three runs and beat Granma 5×4, to climb to first place in the Third Elite Baseball League, together with Las Tunas, which lost to Pinar del Río 2×6. In this challenge Fredrick Cepeda hit his 1503rd hit and is the new all-time leader in this department.

Both teams came out aggressively in the first chapter.

The winners, in the opening inning, scored two runs with singles by Ronaldo Castillo, Cepeda and Jonathan Bridon and, the hosts, equalised in the final part of that first inning, with hits by Julio Eriel Figueredo, Osvaldo Abreu, Darían Palma and Alexquemer Sánchez.

But then, until the end of the fifth, the bats of both sides were silenced. A home run by Palma, through centre field, then produced the third score for the Granmenses and, in that same episode, with a ticket to Alexquemer and a single by Andy Cosme, the score was 4×2 for the home side. It seemed that all was said and done for the game. But no.

The Tigers, in the ninth started impetuous and with a single by Fernando de La Paz, a double by Yoasan Guillen and a rocket by Jorge Luis Contreras, managed to even the score. Rodolexis Moreno continued the party with a hit and blew up reliever Yanielquis Duardo.

Julio Danilo Pérez, who got the first two outs against Castillo and Leoneskis Escalante, then came to work, but he hit Cepeda and hit a ball to Robert Luis Delgado for the fifth and decisive run for Dany Miranda’s team.

Leonardo Moreira was successful in relief, although the work of Liomil González, who in two inning and a third allowed no runs, should be acknowledged. Starter José Grandales conceded the four runs for the Alazanes.

In the other game of the day, Santiago de Cuba defeated Industriales 11×9. Both teams now appear two games off the top, with a balance of eight smiles and an equal number of bitterness.