Havana, February 22 (RHC) – Cuba knocked out Puerto Rico 8-0 today at the Luis Escobar Pocaterra Stadium and secured its passage to the super round of the Men’s Pan American Softball Championship after maintaining its undefeated record in three appearances.
The Cuban team imposed absolute dominance from the pitching circle, completing a no-hitter, the third of the tournament and the second consecutive one suffered by the Puerto Rican team. The victory confirmed the excellent form of the Cuban pitching staff, the backbone of their performance in this initial phase.
Alian Román once again emerged as the star. He pitched four flawless innings, striking out 10 batters and earning his third win of the tournament, bringing his total to 25 strikeouts, second only to American Marco Díaz. Rafael Guerra came in to relieve him and pitched two perfect innings to seal the combined victory.
The offensive support came early. Miguel Savigne opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning and later added to the spectacle with an inside-the-park home run and another homer, the latter proving decisive in sealing the win in the sixth inning.
Reinier Vera and Luis Domínguez also contributed, playing key roles in a rally that left the losing starter, Juan Carlos Ríos, without a response.
With the victory, Cuba (3-0) remains atop its group alongside Argentina (2-0), while Panama, Aruba, and Puerto Rico try to climb the standings.
The tournament awards six berths to the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima and five spots in the first round of the World Cup, objectives that the squad managed by Leonardo Cárdenas has firmly in its sights.
