New IBAF Rule ends USA-Cuba Thriller

USA – Cuba 4-5 (11)

CUB 200 000 010 02  5 10 0
USA 000 200 010 01  4  6 0

Box score
Recap on USABaseball

The new IBAF tiebreaker rule ended a thrilling game between Team USA and Cuba. With the score tied at 3-3, the match went into extra innings and into the eleventh. Due to the new rule, both teams put runners on first and second with the beginning of the second extra frame and the managers reacted to the challenge as expected. Put a sac bunt down to advance the runners and then hope to bring one run more in than your counterpart.

Cuba sent Hector Olivera and Luis Navas to first and second at the beginning of the eleventh. Giorbis Duvergel executed the sac bunt to advance both and Michel Enriquez followed with a two-run single for a 5-3 Cuban lead. Team USA brought Jason Donald and Dexter Fowler as pinch runners. Brian Barden laid down the bunt. But in difference to Enriquez, the next batter only produced a fly ball. Terry Tiffee’s sac fly cut the deficit to a run and advanced Fowler to third. But with two outs Matt Brown hit into another flyout to the end the game, possibly too soon, as the first ten innings were much more interesting than the last one.

The Cuban offense started strong, scoring two runs in the first on a RBI double by Enriquez and a bases loaded Alexei Bell hit by pitch. The Americans tied the contest in the fourth through RBI doubles by Nate Schierholtz and John Gall. Alfredo Despaigne (CUB) and Jayson Nix (USA) exchanged homeruns in the eighth, before the game went into extra innings with the already mentioned ending.

Trevor Cahill (USA) allowed six hits, two runs and four bb in five innings. Luis Rodriguez (CUB) gave up five hits, two runs and a walk in five innings too. He struck out seven. Pedro Luis Lazo (W 1-0) picked up the win for six innings of one-hit relief.  Jeff Stevens (L 0-2) took the loss.