Baseball

The teams of Cuba and the United States shared the title of the 11th Pan-American U-18 Baseball Championship, based in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur.

The rains from Hurricane Odile affecting the extreme northwestern Mexico, forced the organizers to make such a decision, said the head of the Cuban delegation, Augustin Abril, quoted by Jit digital diary.

This way, the U.S., unbeaten in 8 starts, and Cubans, with 6 wins and 2 defeats, shared the crown.

On the podium they were accompanied by Canada, who finished 3rd with a 6-2 balance.

They were followed by the host, Mexico (5-3), Brazil (4-4), Panama (4-4), Argentina (1-7), Ecuador (1-7) and Guatemala (1-7).

This is the 8th trophy for Cuba, which won the first 7 championships like this, from 1997 to 2007.

Cubans also finished 2nd in 2009, after falling in the final match against the United States, and in 2011 they did not attend the event, which was won again by USA.

Collectively, the States led in batting average with 445, followed by Cuba (371) and Canada (339) and fielding percentage (986), escorted by Mexico (970) and Cuba (962).

In pitching also excelled the US team ERA 0.7 per 9-inning game, followed by Cuba with 1.9 and Panama (3.3).

Individually stressed, Cuban Jorge Oña, led the hitters with 636 average, accompanied by Trenton Clark (USA/609).

Oña and his compatriot, Luis Roberts, concluded embraced in the leadership of home-runs with 4.

Cuba included 3 players on the All Star team of the tournament, which gave the first 4 places for the World Cup 2015 in Japan.

FIVB Men's World C'ship

China failed to advance to the final round of the FIVB Men's World Championship, but the squad was looking to finish on a high, as it played its final match of the tournament against Cuba.

The Caribbeans were gifted the 1st set after a service error as China hit the net on set point.

China stormed back, thanks to the strong play of Ji Dao'shuai, and won the 2nd frame 25-20.

Cuba won the 3rd set, but in the 4th, some timely serves and a few miscues by the North Americans handed China the set 25-20, forcing a deciding frame.

And strong powerful serves helped China score some easy points in the decider, as it won 15-11 in the 5th set and finished in a tie for 15th in the tournament.

Football

Suriname kept hopes of qualifying out of Group A at the Caribbean Under-20 Football Championship when defeating Cuba 1-0 yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, in Port of Spain, Ian Prescott of the Trinidad Express reports.

Suriname fell 2-1 to Trinidad and Tobago in their opening match, while Cuba edged Curacao 1-0.

Suriname scored on the stroke of half time when striker Ricardo Faeber caught Cuban Zues De la Paz angling to cut off a cross, and instead chipped the ball in at the near post. The goal was a huge blow to the Cubans, who had looked the more likely to score, despite initial dominance by the Surinamese.

The winners played the final 4 minutes added-on time period without captain and playmaker Sorencio Juliaans, who was sent off owing to a 2nd yellow card infraction, and thus misses the next match against Curacao. Also taken off with an injury was the scorer Faeber.

Cuba put on plenty pressure late in the match as both teams traded chances, without further goals.