Semifinal Round
JPN vs. USA
Japan Pounds United States 11-2 in Baseball
Japan shocked the United States, 11-2, in baseball action to capture a berth in tomorrow's gold medal game against Cuba.
Japan unleashed a 15-hit assault on four U.S. pitchers, including five home runs and two doubles. Five Japanese hitters collected two or more hits. Yasuyuki SAIGO led Japan with three hits.
U.S. starter Kris Benson was tagged with five runs in his four innings of work. Japan jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Hideaki OKUBO led-off the inning with a solo home run to centerfield. Tadahito IGUCHI notched a one-out single and scored on a homer by Makoto IMAOKA.
BENSON allowed another home run to Takayuki TAKABAYASHI to open the fifth inning. Japan tallied two more runs against reliever Jeff WEAVER in the frame to make the score 6-0.
The United States' only runs of the contest came in a two-run sixth inning. Following a Jacque JONES single, Matt LeCROY launched a home run into the leftfield stands to cut the lead to 6-2.
Japan answered back with a two-run home run in the seventh inning off the bat of Nobuhiko MATSUNAKA. A solo home run by IGUCHI and a RBI groundout by TAKABAYASHI gave Japan two more runs in the eighth inning. They closed the scoring with a run in the ninth, making it 11-2.
Masenori SUGIURA picked up the win for Japan, holding the United States to two runs in 5.2 innings of work. SUGIURA struck out eight U.S. batters. Takeo KAWAMURA picked up the save, shutting-out the United States in the final 3.1 innings. BENSON shouldered the loss for the United States.
The win earns Japan a berth in the gold medal game against Cuba at 19:00 on 2 August. The United States drops to the bronze medal game against Nicaragua at 14:00.
Final Score: JPN 11 - USA 2.
"Baseball is the greatest game in the world," said U.S. head coach Skip Bertman. "Sometimes the best team doesn't win. Strange things happen in this game."
NCA vs. CUB
Pair of Three-Run Home Runs Lead to 8-1 Cuban Victory in Baseball, Cuba Plays for Gold.
Orestes KINDELAN and Juan MANRIQUE blasted three-run home runs that powered Cuba to a 8-1 victory over Nicaragua in Olympic baseball semifinal competition.
Cuba clinched a berth in the gold medal game on the strength of a 14-hit barrage, highlighted by the two three-run home runs. The first of the two blasts came in the fourth inning off the bat of KINDELAN. The inning started with a double by Luis ULACIA off starter Asdrudes FLORES. Omar LINARES followed by reaching first on a Nicaraguan error. KINDELAN then cleared the bases with his blast to make the score, 3-1.
In the sixth inning, KINDELAN walked to open the inning and moved to second on a single by Lazaro VARGAS. MANRIQUE plated both runners with his home run to centerfield.
Cuba added two more runs in the eighth inning. Eduardo PARET laid down a bunt single and scored on Jose ESTRADA's triple. ESTRADA followed PARET home on a throwing error by Norman CARDOZE to close the scoring at 8-1.
The Cuban pitching staff held Nicaragua in check allowing only one run. The lone run came in the second inning off Osmany ROMERO. The Cuban starter hit Henry ROA to open the inning. After a double, ROA scored on a ground out.
The run proved to be the only one ROMERO or reliever Omar AJETE would allow. ROMERO picked up the win, allowing one run on five hits in 5.2 innings of work. AJETE earned the save, working the final 3.1 innings without surrendering a run.
FLORES suffered the loss for Nicaragua, allowing six runs in 5.2 innings. Luis Daniel MIRANDA pitched the final 2.1 innings in the Nicaraguan loss.
The win moves Cuba into the gold medal game against the winner of the Japan and United States game at 19:00, Friday at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The loss drops Nicaragua into the bronze medal game on Friday against the loser of the game between Japan and the Unites States at 14:00.
Final Score: CUB 8 - NCA 1
"You give the Cubans much credit with the pitching change," said Nicaragua head coach Darin VAN TASSELL. "They went with AJETE very early and that shut us down."
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