Cuba Wakes Up with a Knockout of South Africa
The Cuban U-23 baseball team defeated South Africa by knockout 26-6 on the second day of the 6th World Championship of the category.
The team led by Guillermo Carmona thus responded to the initial defeat against South Korea (3-2). The Cubans connected for 13 hits and committed no errors.
South Africa offered gifts; its defense failed on five occasions, and the Antilleans took advantage of each one.
Carlos Daniel Chávez led the attack with four RBIs. Carlos Nieto contributed a double and a single, with three RBIs.
Hanyelo Videt drove in another three runs, while Rafael de Jesús Álvarez added an RBI double. Leonardo Alarcón and Frank David González also hit doubles. With them, the batting order responded from start to finish.
On the mound, Riquelmi Odelín started the game. Andy Plumas relieved him and took the win. The left-hander from the capital worked two innings and retired the last six South African batters. He closed the game with authority.
The final score favored Cuba with 26 runs, 13 hits, and zero errors. South Africa scored six, with five hits and five errors.
The triumph keeps the Cuban aspiration alive. Group B grants three tickets to the next phase.
The greatest test arrives this Sunday when Cuba faces Japan, the current world champion, at the Roberto Clemente stadium in Masaya.
