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Olympic Baseball Recaps: 21 July (Day 2)

Men's Baseball Preliminaries - Game 4

ITA vs. KOR

Italy Surprises Korea

Roberto CABALISTI threw a complete game five-hitter as Italy won a 2-1 pitching dual with Korea in the first game for both teams. CABALISTI gave up only a single first-inning run before settling down into a groove that would keep the Koreans scoreless over the next eight innings.

Italy answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the first with back-to-back two-out hits to manufacture the game-tying run. Francesco CASOLARI singled to left field and then Alberto D'AURIA doubled to left- center field to score CASOLARI, deadlocking the score at one. Italy would take over the lead and provide the final margin of victory with a similar two-out rally in the fourth. Marco UBANI singled to right and then stole second base to get into scoring position. First baseman Pier Paolo ILLUMINATI responded with the game-winning hit, a bouncing single into the hole at short that just eluded a diving CHEA Jong-Kook. UBANI scored on the play as the throw from leftfielder CHO Kyung-Hwam was up the first base line.

But, the main story of the game was the pitching performances by both starters. Korea wasted a fine effort by hard-throwing starter MUN Dong-Hwan, who struck out 11 over eight innings. MUN baffled the Italian squad for most of the day, allowing just six hits on the afternoon. But, Italy's CABALISTI, who surrendered the leadoff triple that eventually led to Korea's only run, was the winner in allowing just four hits after the game-opening triple to record the complete- game win. Final Score: Italy 2, Korea 1

"Now, we are pumped," said an excited Silvano AMBROSIONI, the head coach of the Italian squad for the past 12 years. "We could play in another game right now."

See story.


Men's Baseball Preliminaries - Game 5

JPN vs. CUB

10th Inning Comeback Helps Cuba Towards Medal Round

Cuba rebounded for two runs in the 10th inning to record an 8-7 victory over Japan and prevent the upset in Olympic baseball. Japan had comeback from a five-run deficit, scoring a then go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning. The win gave Cuba (2-0), an early advantage in the round-robin tournament with a game against the United States still ahead on 28 July.

After a leadoff double by Rey ISAAC in the bottom of the 10th, Omar LINARES singled home the game-tying run to deadlock the score at 10. Orestes KINDELAN followed with a single and Miguel CALDES knocked home LINARES to give Cuba the victory one batter later.

Cuba started the way it left off against Australia, scoring six runs in the first two innings to take an early 6-1 advantage over Japan (1-1). The Cuban squad, which handed Australia a 19-8 defeat on 20 July in its opening game, mounted two three-run attacks in the first two innings. Leadoff batter Jose ESTRADA scored in both innings following a game-opening double and triple that produced two runs one inning later. KINDELAN, who hit a pair of home runs for six RBI against Australia, added a towering blast to the second level in deep centerfield that was registered at 521 feet for his third home run of the tournament.

Japan also joined the home run derby with two solo home runs off Cuban starter Pedro Luis LAZO, but did not threaten seriously until the sixth inning already trailing 6-2. After Hideaki OKUBO's RBI single made it 6-3, LAZO hit his third batter of the game to load the bases and then surrendered a slap single to right field off the bat of Masahiro NOJIMA that also scored a run. LAZO was lifted for reliever Omar AJETE, who struck Tomoaki SATO out looking. But, with two outs and the bases still loaded, Kosuke FUKUDOME hit a hard, bouncing ball up the middle that eluded the out-stretched glove of Cuba second baseman Antonio PACHECO. The hit was ruled an error as two runs crossed the plate to tie the score at 6, setting up the late inning heroics. Final Score: Cuba 8, Japan 7

"I think this is one of the best games we have played in years," said Cuban head coach Jorge FUENTES FLEITAS."Any of the two teams deserved to win."


This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.


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The volunteer staff of the 1996 Olympic Games totaled 50,152. They worked an estimated 850,000 shifts.