WILLIAMSPORT, PA –
Cuba vs. Czech Republic
Czech pitcher Illia Kolomoiets fires one down the middle and we’re under way!
Kolomoiets strikes out Cuban SS Alejandro Vázquez after a nine-pitch at-bat for the first out of the game.
After a hard slide at second couldn’t avoid the 6-4 fielders choice for the second out of the inning, Kolomoiets struck out Cuban left fielder Marloon Herrera to end the top half of the inning.
Bottom of the first started with left fielder Dennis Dásek lead-off walk and second baseman Dominik Maly roping a double down the left field line to drive him in. 1-0 Czech early.
Cuban pitcher Deivy Hernandez works out of trouble without anymore damage.
1-0 Czech end of first
Kolomoiets works a 1-2-3 inning with two K’s.
Hernández works around a lead-off walk to keep the score 1-0.
1-0 Cezch after two
Kolomoiets struck out two and made a slick play in the infield to keep the Cuban team off the base-paths in the third.
Cuban third baseman Brett Cabrera wowed the crowd with a back-hand stop that reignited the Cuban fanbase.
Hernandez then got the next two batters out without much trouble.
Score remains 1-0 Czech after three
Kolomoiets adds two more K’s bringing his total to nine. No damage in the top of the fourth.
Hernández works another clean inning.
Both teams only have one hit through four.
1-0 Czech after four
After a walk and double Cuban left fielder Marloon Herrera delivers a two-run RBI double to left to give Cuba the 2-1 lead late.
Another walk forces Czech to make a pitching change. Kolomoiets finishes going 4.2 innings giving up three hits and two runs.
Czech stops the bleeding, 2-1 Cuba heading to the bottom of the fifth.
Lead-off single in the bottom of the inning causes Cuba to make another pitching change.
Yans Espinosa comes onto the mound hoping to close out the victory.
Espinosa comes in and strikes out two before getting catcher Robert Vailand to ground out to first base.
2-1 Cuba heading to the sixth
Dominik Kliner came onto the mound and got the first batter of the sixth out on bullet ground ball.
Cuba tacks on an insurance run in the sixth after a hit batter and a bunt brought runners to the corners.
They then pulled out the oldest trick in the book and had both runners steal. The runner from third slid into home to make the score 3-1.
Adrián Fuentes then delivered with an RBI single to center to score the runner from second leading to another pitching change. 4-1 Cuba.
Espinosa shut the door in the sixth in the most competitive game of the day.
Cuba wins 4-1.
