Havana, June 22 (RHC) – The Leñadores de Las Tunas struck first in the semifinals of the IV Cuban Baseball Elite League by knocking out the Cachorros de Holguín 24-12 on the grass of the Julio Antonio Mella Stadium.
The green-and-red team took advantage of their home field in the “Enchanted Forest” and, with a 22-hit offensive outburst, including five home runs, stole the lead in the best-of-seven series that will determine one of the finalists of the qualifying tournament.
In a game where the bats dominated, as expected, the green-and-reds put together a six-run rally in the second inning to take a lead that didn’t last long.
The team managed by Abeicy Pantoja ignited the spark with one of Henry Quintero’s two home runs in the game, while Liuben Gallo, with a single, and Yordanis Alarcón, with a double, each drove in two runs.
However, the visitors quickly erased the deficit and, with a five-run rally—three of them driven in by a home run from Leonardo Montero—regained control of the game.
Neither the home team’s starter, Yosmel Garcés, nor the visitors’ starter, Rubén Rodríguez, could contain the opposing offense and both left the mound early.
A home run by Yassel Izaguirre to lead off the third inning tied the game, and Gallo’s third of five hits gave the Eastern Nightmare the lead again, all against reliever and eventual loser Jesús Enrique Pérez.
Thanks to the third of four errors committed by the Cubs, the home team added two more runs in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Quintero’s second home run and another by Luis Antonio Pérez—off pitches from Joel Tejeda and Jesús Quintán, respectively—extended the lead to eight runs, definitively tipping the scales in their favor.
José Amaury Noroña hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning, completing a five-run rally off Jolber Naranjo, who earned the mercy rule victory.
Rodolfo Díaz pitched four innings, allowing two runs, and took the win on the mound.
