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• Asia
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• Sports
• 08 / 15 / 2008

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In a very tight game Cuba kept the lead in the ninth inning thanks to an excellent relief by Norberto Gonzalez, striking out the last batter.

Cuba’s opener Adiel Palma was batted out when he allowed two homers and was relieved by right-handed Odelin in the sixth inning. Odelin allowed a run in the eight innings after one out and left two Canadians in first and third base before passing the game’s responsibility to left-handed Gonzalez, facing a line-up full of lefties.

Cuba led from the beginning where Canada´s starter walked Cepeda and Bell and with two consecutive sacrifice fly-outs Cepeda ran in. Cuban short-stop Eduardo Paret dobled to bat in Bell for the second run and after the Canadian second baseman’s error on easy groundout by Duvergel he scored the third.

 But on the third inning, Canada tied the game after two back-to-back hits followed by a huge blast of Canada’s third batter.

 In the sixth inning Cuba´s best player in this tournament Alfredo Despaigne hit his first homer to grant Cuba the lead, enough to secure the result.

Cuba’s baseball team will face US in a couple of hours in its third.

(Adelante.cu)