Granma beats Industriales in fifth game and goes to semi-finals

Ciego de Avila, February 4 (RHC-JIT)-- The Alazanes de Granma, with the help of their star player Lazaro Blanco, defeated Industriales by a score of 2 to 1 in the fifth and definitive game of the quarterfinal playoffs in the 60th National Baseball Series.

With their victory at the José Antonio Huelga Stadium in Sancti Spíritus, the Granmenses defeated the Leones de Industriales 3 wins to 2 and advanced to the semi-finals of the championship, in which they will face the Vegueros de Pinar del Río.

Sports enthusiasts said it was a great ballgame, with the mentors appealing to all their tactical arsenal, good pitching, only one error on defense, although some mental ones due to the high tension that prevailed all the time.

The Leones started aggressively against the best Cuban pitcher of the last decade, Lázaro Blanco, and scored one on a line-drive by Andrés Hernández, a stolen base, a ticket to Lisbán Correa and a run-scoring double by Stayler Hernández.

Granma tied the game when starter Maikel Taylor, who exploded in the first inning with tickets to Raico Santos and Osvaldo Abreu, and two balls against Alfredo Despaigne.  

Granma's decisive run came in the third on doubles by Benitez and Ivan Prieto.

Now the Alazanes de Granma will face the Vegueros de Pinar del Río in the semifinals, the first team to place in the top four by sweeping Sancti Spíritus in three games.

The other quarterfinal playoffs will continue soon with the first duel of the series between the current champion, Matanzas, and Cienfuegos, and the second between Santiago-Las Tunas, a match that is 1-0 in favor of the Santiago team.