Villa Clara takes to the Augusto César Sandino stadium today, in the 64th National Baseball Series, with a rope around its neck and the roar of hope: only a victory will keep the flame of the orange epic alive.

The Leopards, hanging by a thread in the table, face the first of their eight pending duels with the titanic goal of winning them all and finishing with 40 victories, the figure needed to displace the Vegueros of Pinar del Río from the last seat heading to the postseason.

The endeavour borders on the impossible. With a record of 32 triumphs and 35 failures, the Villa Clara line-up needs something more than baseball: faith, courage and fortune, because on the other side will be the Woodcutters of Las Tunas, champions in the last two editions of the tournament and undisputed leaders with 48 successes and only 24 defeats.

Although the tuneros already have first place secured and look calmly towards the playoffs, the team of Abeicy Pantoja will not allow a truce. They want to keep the saw sharp and the competitive spirit up before the clashes that will decide the national title.

A Villa Clara victory will prolong the uncertainty of the last ticket. A defeat, in contrast, will crown Pinar del Río’s qualification and leave the board ready for the start of the quarter-finals, agreed as best of five games.

Already waiting seated on the train to the postseason, besides Las Tunas, are the Crocodiles of Matanzas (second), who will face the Roosters of Sancti Spíritus (seventh).

Also securing their pass were the Cubs of Holguín (third), who will go against the Hunters of Artemisa (sixth) and the squads of the Hurricanes of Mayabeque (fourth) and Industriales of Havana (fifth) who will clash with each other.