by Pim van Nes
For the third time this week Cuba and Taiwan were ready for their game nr. 8 in the 24th Haarlem Honkbal Week. The Pim Mulier Stadion opened its doors this morning at 9 o clock and the game finally started at half past ten already with an early attendance of approximately 700 fans. Sunshine flattered the venue and without rain delays Cuba has been able to play its nr. 8 game versus Taiwan and nr 11 game versus Japan within six and a half hours. The audience was growing constantly during the morning match until at the beginning time of the afternoon session some 4000 fans were surrounding the battles field.
Starting pitchers this morning were Adiel Palma for Cuba and Chen-Chang Lee for Taiwan. Together they kept the scoreboard empty till the bottom of the fourth inning, when first baseman Alexander Mayeta doubled with one out to equalize the four hits by Taiwan. Mayeta managed to run along the second two bases and to open the score on a single by Alexeis Bell. With frequently renewed pitchers on the mound the two teams kept the score that close into the bottom of the eighth inning. With two out already, Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera used a Taiwanese throwing error to first base to even reach second base. From there he could double the Cuban score to 2-0 on a single by Alfredo Despaigne, who was batted in by the back-to-back single produced by Yulieski Gourriel: 3-0. One fruitless attack by Taiwan later, Pedro Lazo waited proudly on the mound in order to be congratulated by his teammates. Man of the match, however, was center fielder Alexeis Bell.
With their much televised Olympic manager Senichi Hoshino at two o clock closely watching them in the game versus main opponent Cuba, the Japanese players conceded the first Cuban point from leadoff Giorgus Duvergel hitting and scoring in the first inning. He was batted in by an impressive triple of third baseman Michel Henriquez. A revenge reaction in the top of the second was typically Asiatic: a walk, a bunt, a two-run triple and a successful squeeze play brought the 3-1 lead to Japan. Even more typically Cuban was the leadoff homerun by first baseman Yoandy Garlobo, answering in the bottom of the second: 2-3. Ariel Pestano reopened the Cuban attack immediately with a single, but with the first Japanese reliever Shinji Iwata already on the mound he was eliminated at home plate. With Michel Henriquez at bat, the equalizer was still scored from third base by shortstop Eduardo Paret on a passed ball under catcher Shota Ohno: 3-3.
The final lead in the game was conquered by the Cubans in the fourth inning, when again leadoff Duvergel hit and scored at the same time as Olivera, who had needed a stunning error by Japanese center fielder Kohei Shibata. Duvergel and Olivera were batted in by a one-out single from DH Rolando Merino. Japan outhit Cuba 8-7 in vain for the final result: 5-3 for Cuba sending the North Caribbean’s into second place of the tournament ranked one game behind USA. In the upcoming night game the young Americans met the Netherlands, who urgently needed another victory to continue their race towards the semi finals and the two Sunday finale games. The pre-Olympic selection of Robert Eenhoorn has to win more games than Taiwan in the tournament’s round robin in order to reach semi finals games scheduled for Friday evening and Saturday evening.
Present standing:
1. USA 1.000 (3-0)
2. Cuba 0.750 (3-1)
3. Japan 0.600 (3-2)
4. Taiwan 0.333 (1-2)
5. Netherlands 0.333 (1-2)
6. Antilles 0.000 (0-4)
Photo: © Ron Wickert, www.eott.nl
Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
www.honkbalsite.com
www.sporttribune.nl
www.baseball.it
