Cuba Gets Big Win, Makes Baseball Finals

By Circles Robinson

Michel Enriquez, file photo: Ricardo-Lopez-Hevia, Juventud Rebelde online.

HAVANA TIMES, Oct. 12 — Cuba came from behind to defeat Venezuela 3-2 in a hard fought walk-off semifinal win that paves the way for a showdown and possible rematch with the United States in the finals on Wednesday at the World Cup/Pan American Games qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico.

Hector Olivera came on as a pinch hitter and scored both the tying run in the seventh and winning score in the ninth.

In both cases Michel Enriquez had a key hit, the first to knock in Cuba’s second run and the second to move Olivera to third and set the stage for Alfredo Despaigne’s game winning single.

The USA, which shutdown Cuba 4-1 on Monday, plays the Dominican Republic tonight at 7:30 p.m. EST.

The winning team faces Cuba on Wednesday evening for the title and the loser plays Venezuela in the afternoon for third place.