Villa Clara Wins Opener vs Industriales
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES, March 24 — Three consecutive two-out singles in the bottom of the seventh gave Villa Clara a 3-2 win over Industriales in game one of their best-of-seven championship baseball series on Tuesday night before a packed Santa Clara stadium with over 25,000 fans and a national TV audience.
With the score tied at two runs each, Industriales reliever Armando Rivera issued base hits to Ariel Borrero, Ariel Pestano and the RBI hit by Andy Zamora that proved the difference in the tense ball game between the western and eastern division title holders.
Zamora went 2-for-2 and drove in 2 runs for Villa Clara while Ariel Borrero also had two hits and scored twice. The other RBI came from Yuniet Flores.
A two-run bases loaded single by Alexander Malleta accounted for the only Industriales in the third inning.
Reliever Yasmani Hernandez picked up the win in relief of Freddy Asiel Alvarez who gave up five hits and two runs, one earned, in 6.1 innings. Hernandez pitched two innings of no-run, one-hit ball and Yolexis Ulacia got the save getting the final two outs after relieving Hernandez with one on and one out in the top of the ninth.
Game two of the series is on Wednesday night in Santa Clara. Thursday is a travel day and the series shifts to Havana’s Latinoamericano Stadium for games three and four on Friday and Saturday.
For fans outside Cuba that want to watch the games on Cubavision International check out the times at: www.cubavision.cubaweb.cu/portada.asp