Havana, February 27 (RHC) – Cuba fell 0-4 to the Dominican Republic today in their farewell to the Men’s Pan American Softball Championship and were eliminated from the Lima 2027 Pan American Games and the first phase of the World Cup.
The setback was the final stop on a rough Super Round run, in which the Cuban team never managed to string together the necessary momentum to sustain higher aspirations.
The defeat mathematically confirmed what was already hanging by a thread: there would be no international berths and no room for a late-game comeback.
At Luis Escobar Pocaterra Stadium, the Dominicans approached the game with pragmatism. A two-run homer by Fernando Gómez to center field, with starting pitcher Alain Román in the mound, marked the turning point.
From then on, the Dominican Republic played with the advantage like someone protecting a treasure already secured.
The Cuban offense once again faltered in the decisive moments. Right-hander Yan Carlos González allowed only one hit in seven flawless innings, highlighted by 18 strikeouts that silenced any hint of a Cuban comeback.
In the sixth inning, consecutive singles by Juan Arias and José Alejandro Reyes off reliever Rafael Guerra extended the lead and sealed the victory.
Cuba finished in last place in the Super Round with a record of one win and seven losses, a result that prevented them from achieving their goals set at the beginning of the tournament.
With several games remaining, the standings show Venezuela in first place with a 6-1 record, followed by Argentina (5-1), Mexico (5-2), Canada (4-3), the Dominican Republic (4-4), the United States (3-4), Colombia (2-5), Panama (2-5), and Cuba (1-7).
