Baseball Preliminaries/Game 21
CUB vs. USA
Four Home Runs and Timely Pitching Defeat USA as Cuba Wins 10-8
Cuba flexed its muscles with four home runs to defeat the USA in the anticipated matchup between the two countries, 10-8. Cuba remained undefeated at 6-0, while the USA dropped to 5-1. Each team now has one game remaining before the top four teams for the medal round are determined, but both have guaranteed slots with Cuba as the top seed. The United States could finish as the No. 2 or 3 seed depending on the outcomes of the final games.
Cuba, which entered with 19 home runs, used the long ball to post big innings in both the first and sixth innings. Luis ULACIA and Omar LINARES combined to hit back-to-back solo shots in the top of the first as part of a four-run opening inning. Leftfielder Miguel CALDES got into the act with a three-run blast in the sixth dealing the final blow to starter Billy KOCH (USA). Then, LINARES hit his second home run of the game off reliever Jim PARQUE as Cuba led 10-2.
Cuban starter Omar LUIS recorded the win with a five-hit, five-strikeout performance over 6.1 innings. The USA rallied with five home runs overall, each a solo shot, and placed the winning run at the plate in the ninth before Pedro Luis LAZO recorded a pair of strikeouts to end the game with two runners aboard.
Final Score: USA 10, CUB 8.
"I think this ball game was worthy of these Olympics," said Cuba head coach Jorge FUENTES FLEITAS.
KOR vs. NED
Korea Hands Netherlands 11-3 Defeat
CHOI Man-Ho hit a three-run home run in the second inning to help Korea to an 11-3 victory over the Netherlands. In all, CHOI was responsible for six Korean runs on the day, crossing the plate three times as a result of a 3-for-5 performance including the home run. It was the first win for Korea (1-4) while the Netherlands falls to 1-4.
CHO Jin-Ho started for Korea, going 2.2 innings while giving up two runs on five hits. KIM Young-Soo got the win by pitching 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. JEON Seung-Nam, who went the final four innings, finished the game on the mound for the save as the Koreans entered the win column for the first time in five attempts.
Korea's LEE Byoung-Kyu also had three RBI, going 4-for-5 at the plate. Randolph BALENINA and Marcel KRUYT each had three hits for the Netherlands.
Final Score: KOR 11, NED 3
"We thought we could win," said Jan Dick LEURS, head coach of the Netherlands squad. "Pitching is the name of the game and we did not have our pitching."
This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.
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