The Cuban baseball team defeated the United States Virgin Islands squad 9-0 in their debut in the IV Caribbean Cup, in a match held at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium in the Bahamian city of Nassau.
The Creole offense was perhaps not up to the job by hitting eight hits and leaving 13 runners on base throughout the game, but a lousy pitching job from the rivals by granting 14 free walks, added to technical errors, ivory to the field, and a effective Cuban pitching, solved the equation.
Those led by Armando Johnson, a manager who will also lead our team in the next World Classic, fell on top of the weakest team in this tournament from the very opening chapter with two scores that were enough for victory, one of they towed by a rocket from Guillermo Avilés.
one entry later Those from the largest of the Antilles combined a walk and a single with three stolen bases, two of them by Santiago Torres that in an oversight of the opener Mark Knight swindled the home plate to extend the score.
The shortcomings of the Virgin’s pitching staff were on display in the fifth inning when the relievers gave up a trio of runs without allowing a hit.
Five tickets, two illegal movements, a wild pitch, a pitch, and a sacrifice fly by Yasiel González, combined to create the lethal package that ended up tipping the balance of the challenge.
In the sixth inning, another base on balls awarded by the fourth rescuer passing through the box, a run-scoring double by Héctor Labrada, and a shooting error, opened the plate doors twice to put the fight “on point of candy.”
Two singles and the opposing catcher’s second pass ball sparked another in the seventh.but they could not complete the knockout after receiving two rings from reliever Eduard Ramos.
Meanwhile, José Ramón Rodríguez from Camagüey walked calmly and master of the situation a six-inning route to take the victory, a journey where he barely allowed a couple of hits, fanned the same number of batters, and only conceded one ticket.
The capital’s Andy Vargas pitched two immaculate innings despite bowling three rivals, but he liquidated the same number of batters by the bitter way and only allowed one hit. The fast Guantanamo Yeudis Reyes was in charge of putting the bolt and got the last three outs, all by strikeouts.
Luis Vicente Mateo for the winners and Conroy Samuel for the losers, were the only ones who could hit a couple of hits.
This Tuesday the Cubans will clash against Puerto Rico at 7:00 p.m., on Wednesday at the same time they will face the hosts of the Bahamas, and on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. they will close against Curaçao, the team that beat them in the last cup match for the gold medal.
The best placed after this qualifying round will collide with the fourth in search of a finalist ticket, while the third and fourth will fight for the other spot.
In The contest will award two places for the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games in Salvador 2023where Cuba already has its position secured.
See also:
Historic day: Cuban women will enter the ring!
