• Submitted by: admin
• Sports
• 12 / 23 / 2006

---

By Sigfredo Barros

Also on Thursday, Industriales pounded out a 11-5 win over Matanzas to avoid a sweep and Santiago de Cuba shutout Ciego de Avila 4-0 to win their series. Granma stayed in second place of Group D, behind Santiago, with an 11-2 win over Las Tunas.

Despite Yulieski's hundredth homer earlier in the game, it was the seventh walk by Isla de la Juventud reliever Oscar Jacomino in just four innings, issued with the bases loaded in the 11^th inning that gave Sancti Spiritus their win. Reliever Ismel Jimenez (3-0) pitched three innings of one-hit ball to get the win.

Lefthander Albert Carrion (1-0) went the route allowing only three hits for Santiago; allowing last years league runner-ups to win their three game series 2-1 with Ciego de Avila.

Alexander Mayeta, another lefthander, hit his first homer of the season with two on board helping Yadel Marti (2-1) to victory in Matanzas. Yasser Gomez went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and Carlos Tabares 3 for 4 for Industriales.

Pinar del Rios Pedro Luis Lazo (1-3), the reliable veteran of the Cuban national team, has not had luck on his side so far in the current season. Yesterday he suffered his third loss 3-0 as his teammates once again failed to score in nine innings, this time against Cienfuegos. Lazo has had the same fate in all of his losses. Leovel Cardoso (1-1) picked up the win while Norberto Gonzalez got his second save, retiring the last nine batters in order. Cienfuegos Yosvani Lazo went 3 for 3 with two RBIs.

Granma outfielder Alfredo Despaigne played his role as clean-up hitter on Thursday belting in two home runs including a grand slam. Osmani Urrutia, of Las Tunas, went 0 for 4 but remains the league leader with a .433 batting average ahead of Isaac Martinez (.422), and Juan Carlos Linares (.420).

Giorvis Duvergel hit a homer to tie things up in the fourth and Ysmael Santos another in the fifth to give the home team Guantanamo its win over Villa Clara.

In another day game, Camaguey shortstop Alexander Ayala scored the winning run on a wild pitch shortly after hitting a double to tie in the eighth against Holguin. Metropolitanos and Havana were unable to play due to rain.

Source: Granma