There was only one out left for the Azucareros of Villa Clara They suffered the first defeat in their last 10 appearances when Ramón Moré’s troops put together a spectacular comeback against the current monarchs Leñadores de Las Tunas, defeated for the second consecutive time in the ’64 postseason. National Baseball Seriesl (SNB).
It didn’t matter to the center backs that it was being played in someone else’s yard, nor that they arrived with a four-score disadvantage to consume their last offensive opportunity. On the Julio Antonio Mella diamond, history radically changed to record another success for the orange team, this one with a score of 5-4, according to review the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
Azucareros and Crocodiles undefeated in play off #64SNB
The team from Villa Clara beat the team from Las Tunas 5×4 today and the team from Matanzas 14×6 against the team from Sancti Spíritus.#Cuba #Baseball #CubanBaseballhttps://t.co/AQQoSXb8sO pic.twitter.com/BqAPxnqDNs— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) January 23, 2026
The Villa Clara team had barely three hits before the closing inning, and in that decisive moment they hit the four that saved them from failure.
The most important was by two bases and came from Leonardo Montero’s bat with three teammates in circulation, all of them dragged to the rubber before the astonished gaze of the reliever and loser Alberto Pablo Civil.
For greater drama, the publication adds, the last out of the match fell after a spectacular catch by Yoanier Pérez that aborted the possible reaction of the locals.
In this way, the excellent mountain work woven with two hands by Eliánder Bravo and Rodolfo Díaz before the fateful episode was diluted. The first barely tolerated one score in six innings, and his teammate was in charge of posting a couple of zeros that seemed lapidary.
Meanwhile, his companions, inspired by the Alarcón brothers, did what was necessary, wood at the ready, to balance their pulse before hitting the road.
They were joined by Yassel Izaguirre with a two-run home run, he demonstrated the power ax with a two-run home run that made most of the stands celebrate.
From the visiting mound, Randy Cueto managed to contain the fearsome artillery of the Leñadores as much as possible, but the main protagonists came from the bullpen. In the end, success went to the account of Omar David Pérez and Raidel Alfonso scored the rescue.
The people of Villa Clara will arrive at their grounds with sky-high morale and greater chances of overcoming the quarter-final stage after this outcome, although to do so they cannot fail to beat the two-time champions.
undefeated crocodiles
In the Victoria de Girón park in Matanzas, the Crocodiles under the command of Armando Ferrer delighted their fans with a ruthless offensive that sealed the 14-6 victory over the Gallos de Sancti Spíritus.
Two pillars of the Yumurino cast who are back on the roster were in charge of the most powerful hits. Two of them were signed by José Amaury Noroña, and another hit beyond the limits was sent by Yurisbel Gracial, also the author of five hits, according to the note published by the sports portal Jit.
⚾️|| Parity distinguishes the play off between Cubs and Hunters
With a tie of one win per side, the Holguín and Artemisa teams move to the 26 de Julio stadium, to play the third, fourth and fifth quarterfinal matches belonging to the 64 @SerieCuba. pic.twitter.com/Pm8OxQnIKb
— Cuban News Agency (@ACN_Cuba) January 23, 2026
In the other duel of the day, held on the Calixto García grass in Holguín, the hosts, the Cubs, could not avoid a 1-4 defeat against the Cazadores de Artemisa, to leave this match tied at one success per side.
The home run by the visitor Dayán García with a teammate on board would have been enough to support the good performance from the box of Alberto Ocle, who reached his sixth victory backed by the 12th save of the experienced José Ángel García.
