Villa Clara Has Ciego on the Ropes

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, March 14 — Villa Clara came from behind to overwhelm Ciego de Avila and its star lefty Maikel Folch 10-3 on Sunday.  The win gives last year’s league runners-up a commanding 3-0 lead in the best of seven Eastern Division Cuban baseball league finals.

After two innings Ciego de Avila had a 3-1 lead which might have been enough if Folch had his usual day, but that wasn’t the case and he was knocked out in the top of fifth after allowing the tying run.  Six Ciego relievers then game up 7 runs in the final 4.2 innings: three in the sixth, one in the seventh and three in the ninth.

All Villa Clara starters managed at least one hit in the 17-hit barrage, including a homer from leadoff batter Leonys Martin, and three hits each from Ariel Pestano and Yuniet Flores.

Yorbis Borroto accounted for Ciego’s runs with three-run homer in the second inning.

In the Western Division, Industriales is up 2-1 over Havana Province, the defending league champions.

Both series continue on Monday with Havana Province playing at Industriales home field, the Latinoamericano Stadium in the capital and Ciego de Avila once again hosts Villa Clara.