Cuba defeated South Africa 26-6 in six innings on Saturday at the Estadio Nacional Soberanía in Managua, Nicaragua, earning its first victory of the VI WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup.
Manager Guillermo Carmona’s squad bounced back from a tight 3-2 extra-innings loss to South Korea in their tournament opener, according to oncubanews.com. The Cuban offense capitalized on 17 walks issued by South African pitchers and 13 hits to secure the mercy-rule victory in Group B.
After being held scoreless in the first inning, Cuba scored in every subsequent frame. They plated two runs in the second, six in the third, two in the fifth, and a massive 12-run surge in the sixth inning that triggered the tournament’s mercy rule, cubadebate.cu reported.
🇨🇺 Cuba even their record with a win over South Africa! WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup presented by RAXUS#BaseballWorldCupU23 pic.twitter.com/1CSXPFvNlX
Offensive Explosion Led by Chávez and Nieto
Carlos Chávez paced the Cuban run production with four RBIs, going 2-for-2 with a walk and scoring two runs, according to cubadebate.cu. Second baseman Carlos Alberto Nieto went 4-for-3 with three RBIs, and Anyelo Videt also drove in three runs.
Me he sentido muy bien en este torneo, trabajando para el equipo, ayudando a que se logre el mejor resultado,
Nieto told cubadebate.cu regarding his performance.
Rafael Álvarez contributed from the cleanup spot by going 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. Yo asumo el puesto que la dirección me asigne, vine a jugar y aportar para que Cuba gane,
Álvarez told cubadebate.cu after the game. Yassel Izaguirre and Jean Baldoquín combined to score nine runs and drive in two each.
Lee Andy Plumas Earns Win as Cuba Defeats South Africa
Relief pitcher Lee Andy Plumas earned the win after throwing two innings and allowing one run, according to oncubanews.com. Starting pitcher Riquelmi Odelín tossed 3.2 innings, blanking South Africa through the first three frames before yielding five runs in the fourth inning when the opponents scored all of their runs.
The lopsided win stood in sharp contrast to Cuba’s opening game on Friday, where South Korea handed the Caribbean side a 3-2 defeat in eight innings. In that debut, Cuban batters managed only one hit, struck out 13 times, and left nine runners on base before Kim Seong-woo drew a game-winning bases-loaded walk.
Upcoming Matchup Against Japan
Cuba continues Group B play on Sunday against defending champion Japan at the Estadio Roberto Clemente in Masaya, Nicaragua, oncubanews.com reported. The Japanese squad enters the contest undefeated after narrow pool victories of 5-4 over Great Britain and 6-5 over South Korea.
Venezuela also leads Group B with a 2-0 record following 10-0 wins against South Africa and Great Britain. Under the tournament format, the top three teams from each group advance to the Super Ronda, leaving Cuba well within striking distance of the next phase provided they win upcoming matches against Japan, Venezuela, and Great Britain.
Cuba Faces Japan After Scoring 26 Runs in Managua
The game took place at the Estadio Nacional Soberanía in Managua, Nicaragua.
More action from Estadio Soberanía as Cuba face South Africa! 🇨🇺🇿🇦 WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup presented by RAXUS#BaseballWorldCupU23 pic.twitter.com/xcZMxomuCU
South African pitchers issued 17 walks over the course of the six-inning contest, aiding Cuba’s 26-run output.
Cuba faces defending champion Japan on Sunday at the Estadio Roberto Clemente in Masaya.
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