At the other end of the country, the Santiago de Cuba Avispas team had to dig deep to overcome the Granma Alazanes 9-8 at Guillermon Moncada Stadium, where Yoelquis Guibert hit two home runs, bringing his championship total to seven.
Yoel Yanqui and Jeison Martinez also homered for the home team, while Alfredo Despaigne marked his debut in the Granma jersey with a home run—though it wasn’t enough to prevent the loss.
Holguin Cachorros defeated Guantanamo Indios 5-2 at Nguyen Van Troi Stadium, with Lámazaro Cedeno standing out offensively thanks to a double, a home run, and two RBIs.
The day’s action also featured a decisive win for Villa Clara, who shut out Matanzas Cocodrilos 10-0 at Augusto Cesar Sandino Stadium.
Ciego de Avila also grabbed a win on the mound and at the homeplate, beating Sancti Spiritus 4-0.
Mayabeque halted the momentum of Cienfuegos Elephants with a 9-6 victory, snapping a four-game winning streak, while Camaguey edged Las Tunas 7-6 in a game decided by a Luis Antonio Perez double that led yo a walk-off win against the visitors.
Havana’s Industriales beat by the mercy-rule the aquad of La Isla Piratas at (12-1), at Cristobal Labra Stadium.
With these results, Pinar del Rio leads the Western Zone with an 8-1 record, followed by Matanzas (6-3), Cienfuegos and Industriales (5-4), Artemisa and Mayabeque (4-5), Villa Clara (3-6), and La Isla (1-8).
Santiago de Cuba tops the Eastern Zone with a 7-2 record, ññ; trailed by Ciego de Avila (6-3), Sancti Spiritus, Granma, and Holguin (5-4); Las Tunas (4-5), Camaguey (3-6), and Guantanamo team (1-8) down the botton.
jdt/mar/blc
