The 2022 Serie Nacional champions Alazanes de Granma made their debut with a 3-1 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in the inaugural WBSC Baseball Champions League tournament this afternoon. The Cubans entered the contest with a reinforced team from its league.
The Cubans struck first in fourth inning when Yordanys Alarcón drove in Yordanis Samón with a single giving Granma a 1-0 lead. Cuban starter Erlys Casanova was cruising until Roy Morales of the RedHawks went yard in the sixth tying the score at one.
Granma retook the lead for good in the eighth inning when Yordanis Samón swatted an RBI double and was later brought in by a Guillermo Avilés sacrifice fly. Yanielquis Duardo pitched a scoreless eighth to get the victory, while Juan Xavier Peñalver and Pablo Civil combined to pitch a scoreless ninth and secure the victory for three Alazanes.
Although Casanova did not factor in the decision he pitched masterfully tossing seven innings of one-run ball and striking out six. Yordanis Samón (4-3,2B,RBI) and Guillermo Avilés were the offensive stars on the day for Granma. Granma will now face Barranquilla tomorrow at 3PM with Raymond Figueredo taking the mound for the Antilleans.
💪🏼 Granma hold on for the win with a game-ending 6-4-3 double play!!#BaseballChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/xdilqaKBZ2
— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) September 28, 2023
Number on the day for Granma:
1. Héctor Castillo (RF): 4-0
2. Raico Santos (LF): 3-1, R, BB, K
3. Yordanis Samón (DH): 4-3, 2R, RBI, K
4. Yosvani Alarcón (C): 3-1, HBP
5. Yordanys Alarcón (3B): 4-1, RBI
6. Guillermo Avilés (1B): 3-1, RBI, K
7. Andrés de la Cruz (SS): 4-0, K
8. Darian Palma (CF): 1-0
Yoan Moreno (CF): 2-1
9. Aníbal Medina (2B): 3-1
Pitching:
-Erlys Casanova: 7.0 IP, 4H, ER, BB, 6K
-Yanielquis Duardo: 1.0 IP, H, W (1-0)
-Juan Xavier Peñalver: 0.1 IP, 2H, BB
-Alberto Pablo Civil: 0.2 IP, Sv (1)