Santiago-Villa Clara Do-or-Die
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First Baseman Pedro Poll had 4 RBIs to help lead Santiago over Villa Clara in Game Six.
HAVANA TIMES, May 15 — Santiago de Cuba rebounded from a trouncing on Tuesday with another of its own, defeating Villa Clara 13-2 in the sixth game of their quarterfinal playoff series. The two rivals play their tie breaker on Friday night, with the winner going on to face Ciego de Avila for the Eastern Division title.
Santiago catcher Rolando Meriño, the MVP of last year’s playoffs, and first baseman Pedro Poll, provided more than enough batting power against the first four ineffective Villa Clara pitchers including starter Alain Sanchez who got the hook after allowing three runs in the first two innings.
Batting in the clean-up position, Meriño had a perfect night going 3-for-3 including a homer, driving in five runs. Poll, batting behind him in the fifth position, went 3-for-4, also with a homer and four RBIs. For extra icing second baseman Hector Olivera and leftfielder Joaquin Carbonell also homered for Santiago.
Danny Betancourt had an easy night going five innings on four hits and two runs. He had control problems walking five while also striking out the same number of batters. Reiner Roibal, who was clobbered by Villa Clara two days earlier as the starting pitcher, was much more effective, pitching the final two innings of the game called after seven on the 10-run mercy rule, allowing two hits and no runs.
For tonight’s game, Santiago has announced Norge Luis Vera, who pitched eight scoreless innings in Villa Clara on Monday. Villa Clara will use Freddy Asiel Alvarez, who has two wins in the series allowing four earned runs in 11.1 innings.
The Western Division quarterfinals have been history for days with Habana Province and Pinar del Rio set to lock horns for that division’s title after defeating Isla de la Juventud and Sancti Spiritus by identical four games to onw.
Cuba Company Boosts Eastern Tourism
By · Comments13 de mayo de 2009, 08:32Santiago de Cuba, May 13 (Prensa Latina) Tourism products in Eastern Cuba will top 3rd International Tourism Fair in Havana planned for May 2010. Officials of the international group of tour operators and travel agents work to diversify their offer and make this destination more attractive in face of the challenges of the world economic crisis.
A multimedia presentation and promotional pamphlets accompany the proposal that also extends to Baracoa, Bayamo and Holguin.
Guardalavaca beach, the third Cuban tourism hot spot, is another option of Havanatur that includes nature tours cultural visits.
For example the Church of Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion in Baracoa shelters the oldest cross brought by Admiral Christopher Columbus.
Caribbean Festival 3 – 9 July in Santiago de Cuba
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The Organizing Committee of the 29th Caribbean Festival, to be held in Santiago de Cuba from July 3rd through the 9th and aimed at reaffirming the cultural identity and traditions of the peoples, has been constituted in this city.
Dedicated to the Republic of Honduras and its culture, this Caribbean fiesta will welcome important intellectuals and artists from the region, and will become a space for the promotion of artistic expressions like dance, theatre, music, and literature.
The Commission was set up at the Caribbean Centre (Casa del Caribe) of eastern Santiago de Cuba province, which will be in charge of organizing and coordinating the academic and cultural activities of the multi-ethnic event.
The director of the Centre, Orlando Vergés, told the press that some 40 stages for travelling street performances will be created, and various spots in the city, which traditionally open their doors for the main activities of the Fire Fiesta, as this event is also known.
The Festival will have Santiago de Cuba as its main venue, while Guantánamo province will have a second. It is sponsored by the Caribbean Centre and the Ministry of Culture and backed by the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) and the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists (UNEAC).