The COCODRILOS of Matanzas defeated Industriales here today for the second consecutive day (11×3), adding six wins in a row and taking over as sole leaders of the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball.
Just like on Saturday, the Leones habaneros stepped on the rubber three times before the fury of the Matanzas team was unleashed in the fourth chapter, with four-run packages in that inning and in the eighth.
Outfielder José Amaury Noroña hit two hits in five trips to the plate, including a home run, and pushed in three runs, leading the Cocodrilos’ attack.
He was accompanied by the king of doubles in Cuba, Yordanis Samón, author of three hits, including his 452nd double of his life, and two RBIs.
Yamichel Pérez (5.0 IP, 1CL, 10H, 3K, 1BB) and Frank Luis Medina covered the entire route for the win and the save, respectively. The loss went to Pavel Hernández.
On a Sunday day marked by abundant offensive production in the Island’s winter tournament, Las Tunas once again defeated Sancti Spíritus, a team mired in a six-game losing streak.
The game ended by a 15×4 knockout in eight innings and was the first success in five decisions for starter Branlis Rodríguez (5.0 IP, 1CL, 5H, 6K, 2BB). Reliever José Sánchez worked the final three innings and earned the save point. Raidel Alfonso took the setback without even getting an out.
All nine of the Lumberjacks’ regulars hit hits, led by Héctor Castillo (5-3, 2CI), Yunieski Larduet (4-2, 2CI). Yunier Rondón and Rafael Viñales also drove in a pair of runs.
In the most hard-fought and at the same time very lackluster match, Santiago de Cuba came back from a ten-run deficit and ended up beating Artemisa 13×12, despite committing nine fielding errors.
The decisive score was driven in by Yordan Manduley with his 1,500th hit in the national series against the loser Miguel Lahera, a connection that left the Cazadores in the field and tied the sub-series at one win per side.
Reliever Alberto Bisset signed his first hit in the championship and the 162nd in his career, which equals him with teammate Danny Betancourt as the top winners among active Cuban pitchers, according to Benigno Daquinta’s statistics.
In that duel, Carlos Monier and Robert Luis Delgado hit two complete-game homers for the Wasps, and Ronmy Proenza hit a pair of home runs for the defeated team.
Matanzas is in first place in the standings with a 13-9 record, followed by Industriales and Las Tunas (12-10), Artemisa and Sancti Spíritus (11-11). Santiago de Cuba continues to lag behind (7-15).
