A pair of pitchers' duels.  Errors cost Puerto Rico.  LEWWWWW! leads Venezuela.

CUBA 2, PUERTO RICO 1 (HOME TEAM:  CUBA)

Twins:  Eddie Rosario (Puerto Rico) was 1-for-3 with a home run.  Kennys Vargas (Puerto Rico) was 0-for-4.  Daniel Ortiz (Puerto Rico) was 0-for-3.

Puerto Rico:  Ramon Castro was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double.  Joel Piniero pitched 6,2 innings, giving up two unearned runs on seven hits and no walks with one strikeout.

Cuba:  Yunieski Gurriel was 1-for-4 with a double.  Yulexis La Rosa was 2-for-2.  Vicyohandrys Odelin pitched a complete game, allowing one run on two hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

The game:  Rosario hit a two-out home run in the first to give Puerto Rico a 1-0 lead.  Castro followed with a double, and Puerto Rico did not get another hit the rest of the game.  Cuba tied it in the bottom of the first when Yuniet Flores singled, went to second on a ground out, took third on another ground out, and scored on an error.  There was no more scoring until the seventh.  Ramon Lunar singled, went to second on a bunt, took third on an error, and scored on another error.  Puerto Rico did not get a man on base after the sixth.

VENEZUELA 2, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1 (HOME TEAM:  VENEZUELA)

Dominican Republic:  Ronny Paulino (Detroit) was 1-for-2 with two walks and a double.  Hector Gomez (Milwaukee) was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Kelvin Villa pitched three shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

Venezuela:  Cory Aldridge was 2-for-3 with an RBI.  Lew Ford was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.  Tyson Brummett struck out four in four shutout innings, allowing two hits and one walk.

The game:  In the bottom of the first Ezequiel Carrera (Detroit) walked, went to second on a ground out, and scored on Aldridge's single to give Venezuela a 1-0 lead.  There was no more scoring until the eighth, when Ford doubled, went to third on a fly out, and scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Venezuela.  The Dominican Republic tried to come back in the ninth.  With one out, Francisco Peguero (Baltimore) singled and scored on a Gomez double to cut the lead to 2-1.  Gomez went to third on the throw home and a walk put men on first and third, still with one out.  However, the next batter lined into a double play to end the game and preserve the Venezuela victory.

SERIES STANDINGS

Venezuela, 3-0
Mexico, 2-1
Dominican Republic, 1-2
Puerto Rico, 1-2
Cuba, 1-3

Venezuela and Mexico have clinched entry into the semi-finals.  I don't know what the tie-breaking procedure is in there is a tie for the last semi-final spot.